Water take warning in dry autumn

Irrigation bans that were lifted briefly after rain after Easter are back on water takes from the Waipawa and Tukituki Rivers.  Hawke’s Bay Regional Council warns the mostly fine weather conditions are due to continue with only a few showers forecast.

Consent holders need to be aware of their consent conditions in regard to low flows and adjust their irrigation accordingly.

Bans are back on the Waipawa River and apply to the higher water takes but not those linked to the lowest flow limits of 3000 or 2300 litres/sec.  The river flow was assessed this week at 3360 l/s.

Bans on the Tukituki River are for takes with low flow limits of 5000 l/s and 3000l/s at the Tapairu Road monitoring site.  Consents set to lower limits in the Tukituki and at other monitoring sites in the Tukituki catchment are still able to take water.  The river flow this week at Tapairu Rd was assessed at 2871 l/s.

Bans have stayed on water takes from the Ngaruroro at Whanawhana, while further downstream the river is still on a warning status.  A warning has been placed this afternoon on the Tukipo River which is approaching its low flow; today the flow was assessed at 177 l/s at SH50.

Bans are also on the Maraekakaho, Karewarewa and Mangateretere Streams, while a ban on takes from the Te Waikaha Stream was lifted last week but may not stay off for long in the warmer conditions.

River levels are assessed weekly and information is updated on Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s website www.hbrc.govt.nz