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A report into water quality in Central Otago’s Manuherikia catchment makes for sobering reading, Otago Fish & Game says.
The Manuherekia catchment is the focus of the report where a summary of the documented water quality issues from the past 10 years is included to be presented at a meeting of the Otago Fish & Game Council in Roxburgh tomorrow.
Otago Fish & Game officer Nigel Pacey said he expected the report to generate a lot of public interest.
"It is well documented that many pastoral streams and rivers in Otago have degraded water quality with sediment and nutrient run-off from surrounding agricultural land use a major contributor."
Included in the report was the summary of a decade’s water quality that made for "sobering reading", he said.
"It should alert the Otago Regional Council and the general public to the issues facing the catchment. This reminder is timely considering the Otago Regional Council is currently working through a minimum flow-setting process for the river."
Fish & Game continued to raise the issue of water quality at Manuherekia Reference Group meetings as the organisation saw it as a critical factor that must be included in consideration of water quantity issues.
"Continued failure to address potential effects of different flows on water quality in the catchment may result in poor outcomes from the minimum flow process that do not reflect the community aspirations for a healthier river," Mr Pacey said.