Rivers

Our precious rivers and streams

The Waikato region has more than 16,000 km of rivers and streams. These waterways give the region much of its character. We've got mountain and lowland streams, wild and scenic rivers and, of course, the mighty Waikato River.

Our rivers and streams provide:

a place to play, swim, fish, water-ski, kayak
a home for aquatic plants and animals, with some species found nowhere else in the world
a source of food such as koura, inanga, eels (tuna)
water for drinking, industry and agriculture
hydro-electricity
wastewater treatment
a source of spiritual renewal
a focus for community and cultural events.

Māori have strong cultural, traditional and historic links with our wetlands and inland waterways. These fresh water resources are spiritually significant and closely linked to the identities of the tangata whenua (people of the land).

For more information on our region's rivers and streams, select a topic below.

River and stream monitoring programmes

Waikato Regional Council regularly monitors and reports on the quality of our region's river and stream resources.

How clean are our rivers?

Use our dashboard or the LAWA site to see the locations and results of Waikato Regional Council's regional rivers and streams water quality monitoring.

Live data feeds

Waikato Regional Council’s automated recorder sites constantly check on river and water temperature levels around the region.

Low flow consent restrictions

Find out if water take restrictions are in effect.

The Waikato River

Find out more about the Waikato River, the longest river in New Zealand.

The Waipā River

Find out more about the Waipā River, the largest tributary of the Waikato River.

Stream and river life

Find out more about what lives in our waterways.

Managing water quality

Select a tab

What affects our river waterways?
What we do
What you can do

What affects our river waterways?

Catchment land use affects the water quality of our rivers. Water quality in our rivers is:

good in undeveloped areas, such as the tributary rivers of Lake Taupō.

relatively poor in lowland areas that drain intensively developed catchments, for example, lowland Waikato River.

Flooding and erosion can have major impacts on waterways. Waikato Regional Council's river and catchment management activities are designed to minimise these impacts.

What we do

Managing water quality for all uses is a high priority for Waikato Regional Council. Waikato Regional Council measures water quality every month in the Waikato River, the Waipā River and in other rivers and streams in our region.
We work with care groups in the region to decrease soil erosion and increase water quality.
Waikato Regional Council's provides advice and support for farmer efforts to reduce the impacts of farming on waterways through fencing and planting waterway margins.
Waikato Regional Council works with community groups and other management agencies to protect peat lakes by setting water levels for them. Peat lakes are easily damaged by over drainage of neighbouring land.
For policy information on rivers check our Regional Plan and our Regional Policy Statement.

What you can do

There are many things we can do to improve and maintain our river water quality.

Fence off streams, rivers, swamps, wetlands and seeps to prevent stock access.

Plant banks of waterways to help stabilise the banks and trap contaminants.

Make sure farm dairy effluent irrigators are operating effectively and are moved frequently to prevent effluent ponding and runoff into waterways.

Avoid break-feeding or mob-stocking close to waterways, especially in wet weather.

Form a care group with your neighbours to discuss and use better land management practices to protect your local waterways.

Keep hazardous substances (such as oil and pesticides) out of our stormwater system.

Install stormwater detention areas in new subdivisions to improve water quality (less silt and animal faeces reaches the rivers and streams).