Significant rain in parts of the district last week – particularly at Golden Bay - has provided a valuable boost to river flows and raised groundwater levels across Tasman.

This has enabled the cease take restrictions to be lifted for Waimea Dam unaffiliated water users,

However, Tasman Dry Weather Task Force has recommended no change to the Stage 2 restrictions (a 35% cut to authorised weekly usage) which came into effect for the Motupiko water management zone this week.

No other water management zones are affected by these restrictions – this includes Council-managed reticulated water supplies which are subject to alternative and different restriction criteria.

Motupiko’s Stage 1 trigger of 250 litres per second (l/s) is likely to be hit by Friday, while the Stage 2 trigger of 200 l/s was likely by the end of the week with minimal rain forecast and only a small rise in groundwater levels recorded.

The current unmodified flow at Wairoa is 5300 l/s, well above the Stage 1 trigger of 2750 l/s, which has enabled the lifting of restrictions for Waimea Dam-unaffiliated consent holders.

Elsewhere, the Moutere and Dovedale water management zones received some rain to keep creeks well above trigger levels, as was the smaller Powley Creek and Brooklyn and Little Sydney Streams.

The Deep Moutere groundwater levels are also rising post-rain.

Our dams continue to supplement key water supplies in several areas.

The Waimea Community Dam is 99.6% full, while the Wai-iti Dam is now 80% full.

We have stopped releases from the Wai-iti Dam as the lower river flow is now at around 800 l/s.

Cobb Dam, near Upper Tākaka, has also risen and is now 54% full. Given that the Tākaka River baseflow has increased, river takes are all back to no restrictions. This also applies to the Anatoki River.

Staff will continue to monitor river flows, groundwater, and soil moisture levels in the coming days.

This week’s decision will be reviewed by the Dry Weather Task Force on Tuesday April 7 to ascertain the need for continued or further measures.

You can keep up to date with groundwater and river flow data by visiting our environmental data portal www.tasman.govt.nz/my-region/environment/environmental-data-portal

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