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The Regional Council is working with farmers and community groups to improve the health of our local rivers and lakes. We aim to reduce nutrient levels, such as phosphorus, in the Papanui Stream. Specific targets are based on national guidelines and local aspirations. The results here are preliminary - contact the Regional Council if you require more information.
We have developed dashboards for all the Tukituki sub catchments to help landowners to determine the ecosystem health of their sub-catchment, and identify whether or not they require a resource consent.
If you have any questions about resource consents, please contact one of our Consent Advisor – 06 833 8090, email: consentadvisor@hbrc.govt.nz
The targets featured in this dashboard are the most relevant to the Papanui catchment, and these are catchment scale targets, not national ones. See LAWA for national targets. In accordance with national guidance E. coli, DIN and DRP data are collected monthly, and macroinvertebrates are collected annually.
These are determined using a 5 year rolling average of values. But red/green shaded areas on the graphs are used to put individual values/samples into context - if the majority of samples are in red then the site will fail to meet the plan target.
Rolling average: 57.374
Aquatic macroinvertebrate communities are at the centre of aquatic food webs, and link the energy of the sun to fish and birds. They respond to a combination of water quality, habitat (including river flow), and climate.
We report upon macroinvertebrates by calculating the Macroinvertebrate Community Index (MCI). The MCI assigns a score to each species or taxon (1 to 10), based on its tolerance or sensitivity to organic pollution, and then calculates the average score of all taxa present at a site. Increases in MCI are generally considered to be good.
Macroinvertebrate communities of the Papanui reflect poor water quality (e.g. low dissolved oxygen) and degraded habitat, characterised by excessive weed and sediment.
Rolling median: 150 E. coli/100ml
We use E. coli as an indicator of faecal contamination from warm blooded animals. Not all strains of E. coli are hazardous; however, high concentrations suggest that other pathogens maybe present.
River flow has a strong influence on water quality and ecology. High flows are associated with increased sediment loading and associated contaminants.
Heavy rain events wash animal faecal matter into the stream. Spikes in E. coli (and turbidity) suggest that for the majority of the catchment, the margins of the Papanui stream are not an effective filter for run-off.
Rolling average: 0.717mg/L
An essential element for plant growth but elevated levels can lead to excessive plant and algal growth with associated problems. It is readily transformed between soluble and insoluble forms. The graph represents changes in Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (DIN) which is the form of nitrogen available for aquatic plant and algae growth.
During the summer months, excessive DIN is absorbed by weeds and changed into other forms of Nitrogen by warm temperatures.
Rolling average: 0.164mg/L
We measure a particular form of phosphorous - Dissolved Reactive Phosphorous (DRP) because this is the only form available for aquatic plant and algae growth. Phosphorous is an essential element for plant growth but elevated levels can led to excessive plant or algal growth with associated problems. Over time, phosphate bound to sediment (soil particles in the water) dissolves and becomes DRP.
The green line at the bottom of the graph represents the plan target for the Papanui catchment (0.015mg/L). Various land use activities are likely to be contributing to these high levels.
Rolling median: 2.8mg/L - NB the calculated median is calculated from both FNU and NTU data, so should be treated with caution.
Increases in turbidity are associated with elevated sediment loading which is often caused by erosion. River flow has a strong influence on turbidity and other aspects of water quality. High flows are associated with increased sediment loading and associated contaminants. The relationship between turbidity and rainfall/river flow is a complex one. During heavy rain solids are washed into the stream but there is also more dilution. Compared to large powerful rivers like the Tukituki, the fine sediment and organic matter is more likely to settle on the bed of the Papanui. Sedimentation reduces habitat quality, and limits the type of animals that can live in the waterways.
Turbidity is often moderately high in the Papanui, and not only during high flows. Reducing hill country erosion, and protecting and stabilising stream banks, should be a priority for landowners in these catchments.
This is live data recorded multiple times per day. There are no targets for these measurements; however these graphs give an indication of how quickly important aspects of river condition can change.
There are many direct and indirect ways in which temperature can influence aquatic life. For example, warmer temperatures increase the metabolic rates of stream life, in turn increasing the amount of oxygen they require. Oxygen is produced by plants during photosynthesis. However, poor reaeration of oxygen at low flows, combined with high consumption of oxygen by plants and bacteria can result in oxygen dropping to low levels overnight, when there is no photosynthesis. The percentage saturation of dissolved oxygen is water is a useful measure of ecological health, especially in the low-gradient streams like the Papanui where oxygen is a critical issue.
Saturated oxygen levels in the Papanuiare generally too low, and temperatures too high. This is due to a combination of issues located within the stream (e.g. low flow), the river margins (e.g. lack of shading), and land use. Large fluctuations in oxygen and temperature over a period of 24 hours are particularly stressful. Extensive stands of exotic weeds contribute to this by generating oxygen during daylight hours, and depleting it during the night.
Increases in turbidity are associated with elevated sediment loading which is often caused by erosion. River flow has a strong influence on turbidity and other aspects of water quality. High flows are associated with increased sediment loading and associated contaminants. Turbidity in shallow rivers such as the Papanui has a relatively weak influence upon plant growth. The relationship between turbidity and rainfall/river flow is a complex one. During heavy rain solids are washed into the stream but there is also more dilution. Compared to large powerful rivers like the Tukituki, the fine sediment and organic matter is more likely to settle on the bed of the Papanui. This fine material has poor stability, and limits the type of animals that can live here.
The long, dry Hawke's Bay summers allow flow to drop to very low levels in many streams. For low-gradient streams, like the Papanui, flow can drop to the point where mixing and reaeration is inadequate to maintain oxygen levels. Low flows, combined with the low-gradient, limit the life-supporting capacity of streams like the Papanui. The low gradient also limits the power of floods to flush weeds from the stream, which can then reach nuisance levels where shade is lacking.
Turbidity in shallow rivers such as the Papanuihas a relatively weak influence upon plant growth. The relationship between turbidity and rainfall/river flow is a complex one. During heavy rain solids are washed into the stream but there is also more dilution.
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