The doors to our Whitianga and Paeroa offices will be closed for the summer break from 4pm on Friday, 20 December, while our Taupō and Hamilton offices will close for the summer break at 1pm on Tuesday, 24 December. All offices will reopen on Monday, 6 January 2025. To report air or water pollution, unsafe water activities in or on a river, lake or harbour, or make a general enquiry or information request during this time, call us 24/7 on 0800 800 401.

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  1. Environment »
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  3. Rivers and streams: monitoring and reporting
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Monitoring the quality of rivers and streams in the Waikato

Our rivers and streams are influenced by the surrounding land uses and land management practices. Water quality is generally excellent in upland bush areas, but deteriorates markedly in urban and lowland farming areas.

Waikato Regional Council regularly monitors and reports on the quality of our region's river and stream resources, and the pressures that face these waterbodies and the plants and animals that rely on them for habitat.

Our rivers and streams indicators summarise the results of our science and monitoring programmes, and provide a holistic report on the state of the Waikato region's environment.

We regularly monitor river and streams at a number of sites throughout the region.

Indicators

River water quality for contact recreation

Waikato Regional Council routinely monitors a representative cross-section of regional rivers and streams to assess the suitability of water quality for human water recreation activities, such as swimming, kayaking and water-skiing.

River water quality for ecological health

Waikato Regional Council routinely monitors a representative cross-section of regional rivers and streams to assess the suitability of water quality for native water plants and animals.

Nitrogen losses from land

Waikato Regional Council estimates nitrogen leaching and runoff in a representative sample of catchments across the region.

Sources of nutrients in rivers

We monitor the river nutrient sources as an indicator of the effects human activities have on our rivers.

River biology

Waikato Regional Council monitors river biology to determine the ecological health of rivers and streams in the Waikato region.

Surface water availability

Waikato Regional Council monitors surface water availability to protect our region’s surface water resources.