The Full Surface Water Quality Report

This report summarises results from the West Coast Regional Council Surface Water Quality Monitoring Programme, for data up until 2010-2011. This programme assesses surface water quality state and trends at selected sites where human impacts/pressures occur.

Harris Creek and Duck Creek were the most improved, which both had improved ammoniacal nitrogen, faecal coliforms and clarity. Faecal coliforms and clarity improved at Murray Creek and the Mawheraiti River. Clarity and ammoniacal nitrogen improved at the Orowaiti River at the Excelsior Road monitoring site. There is agricultural activity above all these monitoring sites and improved water quality may stem from changes to farm management practices within these catchments. The Orowaiti River and Harris Creek catchments have been through a voluntary farm planning approach which aims to address all aspects of farming practices.

Click one of the below links to download the 2011 West Coast Surface Water Quality Report:

2011 Surface Water Quality Report (PDF, 18.2MB)

Or click below to download previous reports;

2008 West Coast Surface Water Quality Report (PDF, 4.1MB)

2005 West Coast Surface Water Quality Report (PDF, 3.22MB)

West Coast waterways are unique in that nearly all have a cool, extremely wet climate, and this climate type had the highest water quality out of a total of six climate types observed nationally.

Water clarity on the West Coast, with a mean of 2.8 m, was in the upper clarity range, and higher than most other regions in New Zealand.