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Report on Waikato ground surface water depletion assessment

TR 2012/39
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Report: TR 2012/39

Author: P Callendar and H Lough (Pattle Delmaore Partners)

Abstract

Waikato Regional Council engaged Pattle Delamore Partners (PDP) to assess the potential effects of groundwater abstractions on surface waterways and to identify criteria through which groundwater abstractions can be classified regarding their potential effects on surface waterways. This report has been prepared by PDP to present the results of that assessment.

PDP developed an initial report during the development of the water allocation variation (Technical Report 2010/28). This report is an updated version of that report. Changes only relate to Section 6 to update the information to align with the adopted version of the variation.

Report on Waikato ground surface water depletion assessment [PDF, 950 KB]

Contents
1 Introduction 1
2 Effects of groundwater abstraction on surface waterways 1
2.1 Interaction between groundwater and surface water 1
2.2 Groundwater abstraction effects 4
3 Parameters which influence the magnitude of surface water depletion effects 6
4 Methods to quantify the effect of groundwater pumping on surface waterways 17
5 Application of surface water depletion calculations to the Waikato 21
6 Management of surface water depletion effect in chapter 3.3 (water takes) of Waikato Regional Plan 28
6.1 Assessing the degree of connection 30
6.2 Managing the degree of connection 32
7 Conclusion 32