River Lake contributed to the Lagoon Technical Group (LTG) and Catchment Technical Group (CTG) advising Southland Regional Council on interventions to protect and restore Waituna Lagoon.

Waituna Lagoon is a highly valued, large brackish coastal lagoon and a wetland of international importance (Ramsar site). Ruppia (seagrass) is a key stone species central to the ecological functioning, of the lagoon. It is threatened by nuisance filamentous algae, sedimentation, an an opening regime that can increase salinity when the seagrass is germinating.

Our work included:

• Analysing water quality state and trends;
• Assessing the risk of the lagoon ‘flipping’ to a dirty water state;
• Contributing the the development of lagoon guidelines with quality targets for lagoon health, and  management options.

Find the report here: Waituna lagoon Guidelines