Wānaka Water Project

Much has already been achieved through the Wānaka Water Project. In collaboration with a network of passionate individuals, regulators, scientists and community stakeholders, the Wānaka Water Project has improved understanding of the risks to our waterways and identified actions needed to manage their impacts. The outcomes from the Wānaka Water Project will improve and maintain the long-term health of the wider Upper Clutha catchment area including Lake Wānaka, Lake Hāwea and the Clutha, Hāwea and Cardrona Rivers.

This work is made possible with the generous support of our funders: Ministry for the Environment, Sargood Bequest, Million Metres, Queenstown Lakes District Council and Otago Regional Council. The project has been divided into three key streams of work:

Community Catchment Plan

This is our action plan for the Upper Clutha’s freshwater. It identifies risks to the health of the catchment and gaps in our understanding. The plan sets out 60 actions to achieve our community’s goals for the catchment.

Native plantings to restore riparian margins, led by Te Kākano Aotearoa Trust in partnership with landowners, QLDC, ORC and other stakeholders. To find out more about how you can support riparian planting, click here.

Applied research focussed on Wānaka stormwater, assessing the effects of urban development on lake health. The results of this research will help to define future management measures.

We’re thrilled at what has been achieved since the contracts were signed with the Ministry for the Environment in June 2018.

Timeline

August 2018 – Stormwater research workshop held in Wānaka
December 2018 – Year 1 $60K “Love Lake Wānaka” Million Metres fundraising target achieved
February 2019 – Research funding approved for two stormwater projects
March 2019 – Water Survey launched. Water Hui and Water Workshop held.
June 2019 – 4,500 plants in the ground thanks to Te Kākano volunteers. Literature Review complete.
August 2019 Second Water Hui held.
December 2019 Year 2 $60K “Love Lake Wānaka” Million Metres fundraising target achieved.
March 2020 Community Catchment Plan published.
June 2020 Land Use Effects on the Health of Urban Streams report published by Melanie Vermeulen. View summary here.
September 2020 Stakeholder update event held with presentation from Melanie Vermuelen about her findings.
March 2021 Year 3 $60K “Cardrona Kaitiaki” Million Metres fundraising target achieved.
March 2021 Stormwater Quality of Discharges into Lake Wānaka report published by Victoria Grant. View summary here.

To view our current Annual Plan click here.

Survey

75% of those who completed the Upper Clutha water survey in 2019 believe that water quality in the Upper Clutha is getting worse, with the key concerns being agricultural runoff, the use of pesticides, fertilisers and other chemicals, and issues related to population growth.

Literature Review

In 2019, WAI Wānaka commissioned a review of existing literature to assist with the development of the Community Catchment Plan.

The literature review included: A state of the environment summary, high level policy and plan direction, risks to the catchment.

Links & Resources

Wānaka Water Project

Community Catchment Plan

Riparian Planting

Applied Research

Timeline

Survey

Literature Review