Te Awa o te Atua /Matatā lagoon is an outstanding example of a complex dune land-wetland-open-water system on a freshwater-saltwater interface. It has high botanical values and provides high value breeding and feeding habitat for a large number of water birds.
The western lagoon was remediated in about 2010, however the width of aquatic emergent wetland vegetation on the margin of the western lagoon remains considerably less than what was intended to regenerate into shallow wetland habitat following the post-flood remediation.
River Lake Ltd and Place Group undertook water quality, fish and vegetation surveys to assess the ecological health of Te Awa O Te Atua / Matatā Lagoon and identify ways to improve its values.
The report for Whakatane District Council can be found here:
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.
Floating mats of the cyanobacteria Lyngbya sp. in an isolated section of the Maketu-Ongatoro Estuary. Reducing this cover of algae is one reason for the Kaituna River Re-Diversion Project (Bay of Plenty Regional Council).
