Otago Regional Council lakes science senior scientist Hugo Borges said a data-collecting buoy would be installed in the deep glacial lake to detect changes and provide warning signs of degradation.
The buoy would measure a range of environmental parameters including water temperature, dissolved oxygen, acidity, conductivity, turbidity, chlorophyll-a and phycocyanin (measures of algae), Mr Borges said.
‘‘Together these measurements can help indicate changes in lake health, water clarity, algae levels, lake mixing and stratification patterns, and overall lake productivity.
‘‘The data can also provide early warning signs of unusual conditions or potential degradation, improve understanding of climate related impacts and support scientific research and lake management decisions,’’ he said.
Similar monitoring buoys had been operating in Lake Wakatipu and Lake Wānaka since 2023 and Lake Hayes since 2018.
‘‘These systems have proven extremely valuable by providing continuous, high frequency data that cannot be captured through traditional monthly sampling alone,’’ Mr Borges said.
ORC environmental monitoring network lead Nick Boyens said design, construction and installation of these monitoring buoys in extremely challenging environments was a complex task.
‘‘The buoy programme is becoming an increasingly important tool for lake science and environmental management in Otago,’’ Mr Boyens said.
Guardians of Lake Hāwea chairman Don Robertson said having the data-collecting buoy in Lake Hāwea was a positive step.
‘‘The buoys help give us an snapshot of the environmental context,’’ Mr Robertson said.
‘‘Its a great indicator of what is needed on a bigger scale to stop further declining,’’ he said.
The regional council said the permanent buoy would have a navigation light, as required under Maritime New Zealand law.
Data would be available in near-real time from the environmental data portal.
The council’s environmental data portal collected data from over 350 sites which tracked water levels, temperature, rainfall and more, it said.
