Surface Water Reports 2015

• 
• 
• 

Share

Print

Surface Water Quality - SOE Report

This report is an update of the 2014 Surface Water Quality - SoE Report. It summarises the water quality of 34 sites monitored as part of the programme for the three years 2012-2014, with a particular focus on changes in 2014.

The Marlborough District Council monitors the water quality of the regions streams and rivers on a monthly basis at 34 sites. Monitoring consists of taking field measurements and the collection of samples that are analysed for a number of parameters.

Water Quality in the Are Are Creek Catchment

SoE monitoring has shown that water quality in Are Are Creek is marginal. In order to find the causes, a total of 24 sites located throughout the catchment of the creek were monitored for a number of physical and chemical parameters in 2013 and 2014. This report summarises the findings of this investigation.

Are Are Creek flows through the Kaituna valley and is a tributary of the Wairau River. Large pine production forest covers the hills of the catchment, while the valley floor is dominated by pastoral land use. Monthly State of the Environment monitoring at the bottom of the catchment has shown that water quality is poor. In order to find the causes, a total of 24 sites located throughout the catchment were sampled on 6 occasions in 2013 and 2014.

Taylor River Catchment Characterisation Doctors Creek

SoE monitoring identified Doctors Creek, a main tributary of the Taylor River, as having some of the worst water quality in the region. In the 2013 Surface Water Quality - SoE Report, Doctors Creek ranked in the bottom five of the 34 sites monitored. This report is an extensive catchment characterisation of Doctors Creek. It combines Hydrological, Geological, Soil and Land use information available for this catchment as well as the results of a substantial investigation into the water quality of Doctors Creek carried out in 2013 and 2014.

State of the Environment sampling identified Doctors Creek, upstream of the Taylor River as one of the worst sites in regard to water quality.

In the Surface Water State of the Environment report 2013, Doctors Creek ranked in the bottom five of the 34 sites monitored. During base-flow, Doctors Creek supplies a significant portion of surface flow to the lower reach of the Taylor River which is part of the River Reserve.

Therefore, the degraded water quality of Doctors Creek affects the water quality of the Taylor River. The Taylor River reserve is a particularly popular recreational area for walking, running, cycling and rafting. In some areas the river is also used for swimming.