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A 100m long wave barrier on the south western side of Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere has been placed to enable submerged plants, known as macrophytes, to become established. NIWA freshwater ecologist Mary de Winton believed the barrier to be the first of its kind in the world for this purpose. “This barrier idea was conceived by…
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Ken Taylor, who played a leading role in the formation of the Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere co-governance framework, sees the maturing relationship between the partners as critical to the success of Whakaora Te Waihora.
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As councils and crown research institutes aim to fulfil their Treaty of Waitangi obligations to engage with iwi in decision-making processes, many are looking to refine how they engage with Māori. Environment Canterbury Resource Management Officer, Katherine Hill has spent the last six years investigating Mātauranga Māori in science, to develop effective strategies that will…
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New water monitoring systems now in place in Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere are expected to improve the overall management of the lake. Senior Hyrdrological Officer for Environment Canterbury, Alex Ring says the new systems will provide a deeper understanding of the lake. “These new tools will give us a better understanding of changes happening within the…
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Kim Drummond considers the Whakaora Te Waihora partnership a game changer – the beginning of something significant, aimed at returning good health and mauri to Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere. He sees the coming together of the partners – Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Environment Canterbury and the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) – through their joint…
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A visit to the Selwyn-Waihora Catchment in early March, has given Government officials a first-hand view of the water conservation work being carried out by Ngāi Tahu and Environment Canterbury. Environment Canterbury’s Director of Resource Management and Whakaora Te Waihora Joint Officials and Steering Group member, Kim Drummond, stressed the importance of the visit. “It’s…
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When the massive beds of naturally-occurring macrophytes disappeared from Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere in the 1960s, it was a turning point for the quality of the lake’s water. Known for their ability to buffer wave action, to take up nutrients, to improve water quality and to provide diverse habitats for fish and wildlife, submerged macrophyte systems…
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Most of us are familiar with the marine species of kōura (crayfish), but have you ever seen a wai kōura (freshwater crayfish)? Wai kōura were recognized as taonga species for Ngāi Tahu whānui in the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act (1998). They are still popular eating today, with a few aquaculture facilities even growing them…
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The Whakaora Te Waihora Science Hui will be held at the Lincoln Event Centre, Meijer Drive, Lincoln, 9am to 1.30pm on Thursday, 6 November. Whakaora Te Waihora is a cultural and ecological restoration programme for Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere, led by Ngāi Tahu and Environment Canterbury. As part of this programme, several science and engineering investigations…
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An unusual team from Ngāi Tahu might be spotted around Te Waihora over the next few months peering into streams wearing masks, snorkels and waders. They’re looking for a secretive species often overlooked nowadays- the kākahi or freshwater mussel. The Ngāi Tahu team has had luck already, finding mussels in some sites around the lake….
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