The February 2009 Draft Waipara and Tributaries Environmental Flow Regimes staff report R09/3 revises the November staff report.

It discusses suitable flow and allocation options for surface water and hydraulically connected groundwater in the Waipara catchment. See also executive summary.

If you have any comments on this report, you can send them to:

Herb Familton
Waipara Environmental Flow Review
Environment Canterbury
PO Box 345
Christchurch 8140

Or email Herb at herb.familton@ecan.govt.nz

By lunchtime 4th March 2009,  they will able to be included as part of the Council agenda for the public Waipara River workshop to be held at Council Chambers on Wednesday, the 11th March.

If you wish to speak to the 11th March,  Waipara River Public Workshop, please freephone (0800 324 636) and advise that you want to talk to the “Waipara River Public Workshop”, and advise your contact phone details and length of time you wish to speak. Environment Canterbury will get back to you to confirm the time of your speaking slot.

The November 2008 Waipara River and Tributaries Staff report (Environment Canterbury report R08/71) builds on the staff May report (Environment Canterbury Report R07/10). It discusses suitable environmental flow and allocation blocks for surface water and stream depleting groundwater in the Waipara catchment. 

The Waipara River and tributaries draft staff report R07/10 was released in May 2008 for public consultation. The objective of the report and consultation is to arrive at an environmental flow regime that provides for instream values and the size and number of allocation blocks that provide water for out of stream uses.

In summary, the proposal is to manage the Waipara mainstem water resource as 2 main stem reaches, monitored from 2 flow recorder sites.

These sites set a threshold river flow, or minimum flow, below which abstraction for irrigation must cease. The sites proposed are:

• White Gorge for abstractors above the Omihi Confluence (Upper Waipara)  
• Teviotdale for abstractors below the Omihi Confluence (Lower Waipara).

A Community Advisory Group is being formed to provide local knowledge and hear recommendations from the technical panel before producing its own recommendations to Environment Canterbury councillors. Although continuity is desirable, involvement in this group is open to anyone.

For further information contact Herb Familton (03) 371 7186 or email herb.familton@ecan.govt.nz