Climate & Water Resources Briefing

The monthly climate and water resources briefing at Hawke’s Bay Regional Council focused on the results of the damper than expected spring weather.

The wetter weather recently has helped to keep river and groundwater levels up at this time of year, as the Hawke’s Bay region heads into what is expected to be a warm summer with average rainfall for the season.

“Above average rainfall and warmer ocean temperatures were the hallmark of spring and cooler easterlies have kept the temperature moderate,” said Kathleen Kozyniak

River flows were mostly close to normal during the past month and few rivers currently have a ban on water takes.

Groundwater levels under the Heretaunga Plains are also within the normal seasonal range, while the Ruataniwha aquifer was below normal in November but expected to have a short term recovery.

A new element in the public briefing was information on water use, showing how much is used by industry, irrigation, domestic use and other.

“While a lot of water meter data comes in daily through telemetry, some data is sent to us monthly or annually, so this year’s monthly data is not complete,” said Jo Rodgers, Water Information Team.

The members of the public and industry who attended were also shown new features on the regional council’s new look website. The website now shows graphics of river and groundwater levels which provide a greater range of detail, from a map showing simply whether rivers are rising or falling, through to more detailed data on a weekly, monthly or annual basis.  

“Our region relies on water resources for production, processing and recreation especially in summer, so we’ve improved the accessibility and information available through our website to make it easier for water users and others to use,” said Stephen Swabey, HBRC Science Manager. 

19 December 2018

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