Message: this is our testing site. If you break it let us know (but don't break the live site)
Learn more nowMessage: this is our testing site. If you break it let us know (but don't break the live site)
Clutha River/Mata-Au
Freshwater is one of Otago's greatest assets and to keep it that way we want to manage the region's water quality and quantity.
Groundwater is a precious resource that forms an important part of the water (hydrological) cycle.
Otago’s diverse landscapes have produced an array of wetlands. They include forest swamps, valley floor bogs, sub-alpine swamps and inland salt pans.
Read about the state of Otago's rivers and ORCs key priorities to protect them.
Waterway health can be affected by how land is managed. If you're a farmer, viticulturalist, horticulturalist, or any other type of land owner, here are some fact sheets to help. Get tips for good practices in your farm management
Naturally occurring algae can be toxic and harmful to human and animal health. Learn more about toxic algae and see a list of sighted and confirmed areas with toxic algae in Otago.
Integrated Catchment Management (ICM) recognises that all the elements of an ecosystem, including the people, are connected.
The Otago Regional Council, in collaboration with Kāi Tahu, is developing a Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP) to protect Otago's waterways. Prioritising Te Mana o te Wai to put waterway health comes first, improving the water quality and waterways of Otago.
Access the most up-to-date environmental information and download data (in some cases going back more than 80 years).
We carry out research and technical water quality testing to ensure ecosystem health.
Most stormwater isn’t treated before it drains into our local waterways. It’s important to only drain rain and prevent anything nasty getting into our waterways. We need to protect our streams, rivers, lakes and coastal waters.
Land Air Water Aotearoa (LAWA) has data on water quality, groundwater quality, health of Otago swiming spots, and water quanity information.
Earthworks are a necessary part of preparing land for residential development, but if the right practices aren’t used, soil can be lost to water bodies.
Otago has some of the best water quality in New Zealand and we want to keep it that way. We carry out water quality monitoring of popular swimming spots throughout summer and the results are available here on LAWA.
If you observe any type of pollution in Otago, please contact our Pollution Hotline at 0800 800 033 or fill in the form on our Report Pollution page. Your information is crucial in helping us maintain a cleaner environment for everyone in Otago.
