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Nutrient river water quality league table: nitrate, total nitrogen, dissolved reactive phosphorus, total phosphorus

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State rankings for 2007 median for four nutrients at 77 sites in the national river water quality network (1=best, 77=worst) (ranks are based on standard scores*)

River @ site

Where there are two or more sites on the same river, sites from upstream to downstream are labelled (a), (b), etc.

 Region Nitrate [mg/l] and (rank) Total nitrogen [mg/l]and (rank) Dissolved reactive phosphorus [mg/l] and (rank) Total phosphorus [mg/l]and (rank) Overall state rank
Waitaki @ Kurow (A) Canterbury 0.003 (3) 0.038 (3) 0.0007 (4) 0.003 (4) 1
Monowai below Gates (river joins Waiau upstream of Waiau @ Tuatapere) Southland 0.007 (8) 0.076 (13) 0.0005 (2) 0.003 (1) 2
Clutha @ Luggate Br. (A) Otago 0.026 (20) 0.066 (10) 0.0006 (3) 0.003 (2) 3
Hurunui @ Mandamus (A) Canterbury 0.004 (5) 0.059 (7) 0.0012 (9) 0.004 (10) 4
Ngaruroro @ Kuripapango (A) Hawke's Bay 0.003 (4) 0.064 (9) 0.0018 (19) 0.003 (3) 5
Waikato @ Reids Farm (A) Waikato 0.001 (1) 0.059 (8) 0.0014 (13) 0.005 (12) 6
Clutha @ Millers Flat (B) Otago 0.024 (18) 0.069 (11) 0.0005 (1) 0.005 (16) 7
Haast @ Roaring Billy West Coast 0.033 (23) 0.053 (5) 0.0013 (11) 0.004 (7) 8
Buller @ Longford (A) Tasman 0.032 (21) 0.079 (14) 0.0010 (7) 0.003 (6) 9
Motueka @ Gorge (A) Tasman 0.024 (16) 0.038 (2) 0.0025 (25) 0.003 (5) 10
Wairau @ Dip Flat (A) Marlborough 0.012 (9) 0.023 (1) 0.0031 (33) 0.004 (9) 11
Hakatakamea above MH Br. (river joins Waitaki downstream of Waitaki A) Canterbury 0.005 (6) 0.096 (19) 0.0023 (22) 0.005 (11) 12
Kawarau @ Chards Otago 0.024 (17) 0.082 (16) 0.0009 (6) 0.008 (28) 13
Grey @ Waipuna (A) West Coast 0.032 (22) 0.102 (20) 0.0019 (20) 0.004 (8) 14
Waimakariri @ Gorge (A) Canterbury 0.057 (30) 0.081 (15) 0.0015 (15) 0.007 (25) 15
Ruamahanga @ SH2 (A) Wellington 0.038 (26) 0.087 (17) 0.0031 (32) 0.005 (14) 16
Tarawera @ Lake outlet (A) Bay of Plenty 0.001 (2) 0.088 (18) 0.0033 (34) 0.008 (30) 17
Waitaki @ SH1 Br. (B) Canterbury 0.069 (35) 0.136 (26) 0.0012 (8) 0.007 (22) 18
Clutha @ Balclutha (C) Otago 0.045 (28) 0.142 (27) 0.0015 (14) 0.008 (27) 19
Makaroro @ Burnt Br. (river joins Tukituki upstream of Tukituki @ Red Br.) Hawke's Bay 0.024 (15) 0.058 (6) 0.0050 (42) 0.006 (20) 20
Hutt @ Kaitoke (A) Wellington 0.034 (24) 0.110 (23) 0.0034 (35) 0.007 (23) 21
Buller @ Te Kuha (B) West Coast 0.064 (32) 0.142 (28) 0.0025 (26) 0.008 (29) 22
Wairau @ Tuamarina (B) Marlborough 0.127 (42) 0.156 (30) 0.0024 (23) 0.005 (17) 23
Waipapa @ Forest Ranger Northland 0.015 (11) 0.106 (21) 0.0050 (41) 0.011 (37) 24
Rangitikei @ Mangaweka (A) Manawatu-Wanganui 0.067 (34) 0.172 (31) 0.0036 (37) 0.010 (34) 25
Waipoa @ Kanakanaia Gisborne 0.018 (13) 0.155 (29) 0.0017 (18) 0.021 (52) 26
Shotover @ Bowens Peak Otago 0.015 (12) 0.070 (12) 0.0008 (5) 0.030 (59) 27
Rangitikei @ Kakariki (B) Manawatu-Wanganui 0.043 (27) 0.193 (33) 0.0030 (31) 0.015 (41) 28
Grey @ Dobson (B) West Coast 0.108 (39) 0.240 (38) 0.0027 (29) 0.009 (31) 29
Sutton @ SH87 (river joins Taieri between Taieri A and B) Otago 0.005 (7) 0.224 (37) 0.0041 (39) 0.016 (44) 30
Waimakariri above old HW Br. (B) Canterbury 0.119 (41) 0.210 (35) 0.0013 (10) 0.015 (43) 31
Ngaruroro @ Chesterhope (B) Hawke's Bay 0.025 (19) 0.119 (24) 0.0059 (46) 0.016 (45) 32
Mohaka @ Raupunga (B) Hawke's Bay 0.074 (36) 0.184 (32) 0.0052 (44) 0.011 (36) 33
Motueka @ Woodstock (B) Tasman 0.197 (49) 0.270 (42) 0.0026 (28) 0.005 (15) 34
Waiau @ Tuatapere Southland 0.195 (48) 0.319 (47) 0.0016 (16) 0.009 (32) 35
Opuha @ Skipton Br. (river joins Opihi upstream of Opihi A) Canterbury 0.235 (54) 0.372 (50) 0.0014 (12) 0.007 (21) 36
Manganui @ SH3 (river joins Waitara upstream of Waitara @ Bertrand Rd) Taranaki Region 0.065 (33) 0.108 (22) 0.0098 (58) 0.014 (40) 37
Hutt @ Boulcott (B) Wellington 0.229 (53) 0.317 (46) 0.0035 (36) 0.007 (24) 38
Mohaka @ Glenfalls (A) Hawke's Bay 0.193 (46) 0.264 (39) 0.0052 (43) 0.009 (33) 39
Motu @ Houpoto (B) Bay of Plenty 0.049 (29) 0.120 (25) 0.0106 (59) 0.018 (48) 40
Mataura @ Parawa (A) Southland 0.235 (55) 0.327 (48) 0.0049 (40) 0.010 (35) 41
Hurunui @ SH1 Br. (B) Canterbury 0.331 (60) 0.449 (54) 0.0016 (17) 0.006 (19) 42
Whanganui @ Te Maire (A) Manawatu-Wanganui 0.174 (45) 0.266 (40) 0.0060 (48) 0.018 (47) 43
Tongariro @ Turangi Waikato 0.022 (14) 0.051 (4) 0.0138 (63) 0.020 (50) 44
Motu @ Waitangirua (A) Gisborne 0.061 (31) 0.223 (36) 0.0082 (54) 0.024 (54) 45
Whanganui @ Paetawa (B) Manawatu-Wanganui 0.164 (43) 0.364 (49) 0.0053 (45) 0.021 (51) 46
Waikohu @ No. 1 Br. (river joins Waipoa upstream of Waipoa @ Kanakanaia) Gisborne 0.099 (37) 0.269 (41) 0.0084 (56) 0.024 (53) 47
Opihi @ Waipopo (B) Canterbury 0.396 (63) 0.527 (58) 0.0026 (27) 0.005 (18) 48
Taieri @ Outram (B) Otago 0.035 (25) 0.293 (43) 0.0092 (57) 0.031 (60) 49
Mangakahia @ Titoki Br. Northland 0.103 (38) 0.312 (45) 0.0075 (52) 0.031 (61) 50
Tukituki @ Red Br. Hawke's Bay 0.408 (67) 0.584 (61) 0.0024 (24) 0.013 (39) 51
Ohinemuri @ Karangahake Waikato 0.397 (64) 0.584 (62) 0.0030 (30) 0.013 (38) 52
Waitangi @ Wakelins Northland 0.226 (52) 0.499 (57) 0.0061 (49) 0.025 (55) 53
Oreti @ Lumsden (A) Southland 0.520 (70) 0.652 (65) 0.0022 (21) 0.005 (13) 54
Waitara @ Bertrand Rd Taranaki Region 0.198 (50) 0.491 (56) 0.0060 (47) 0.033 (65) 55
Waipa @ Otewa (A) Waikato 0.216 (51) 0.422 (52) 0.0119 (60) 0.027 (56) 56
Manawatu @ Teachers Coll. (B) Manawatu-Wanganui 0.407 (66) 0.553 (60) 0.0072 (51) 0.019 (49) 57
Taieri @ Tiroiti (A) Otago 0.015 (10) 0.296 (44) 0.0146 (64) 0.049 (68) 58
Whirinaki @ Galatea (river joins Rangitaiki upstream of Rangitaiki A) Bay of Plenty 0.118 (40) 0.207 (34) 0.0201 (70) 0.032 (62) 59
Waikato @ Hamilton Traffic Br. (B) Waikato 0.194 (47) 0.376 (51) 0.0133 (62) 0.036 (67) 60
Ruamahanga @ Waihenga (C) Wellington 0.289 (57) 0.458 (55) 0.0131 (61) 0.029 (57) 61
Ruamahanga @ Wardells (B) Wellington 0.506 (69) 0.666 (67) 0.0081 (53) 0.017 (46) 62
Manawatu @ Weber Rd (A) Manawatu-Wanganui 0.383 (62) 0.633 (64) 0.0083 (55) 0.032 (63) 63
Rangitaiki @ Te Teko (B) Bay of Plenty 0.295 (58) 0.440 (53) 0.0165 (66) 0.035 (66) 64
Rangitopuni @ Walkers Auckland 0.166 (44) 0.690 (68) 0.0181 (67) 0.061 (69) 65
Opihi @ Rockwood (A) Canterbury 1.009 (75) 1.159 (73) 0.0038 (38) 0.007 (26) 66
Hoteo @ Gubbs Auckland 0.265 (56) 0.619 (63) 0.0223 (73) 0.066 (70) 67
Oreti @ Riverton HW Br. (B) Southland 1.040 (76) 1.183 (74) 0.0066 (50) 0.015 (42) 68
Rangitaiki @ Murapara (A) Bay of Plenty 0.726 (72) 0.806 (70) 0.0209 (72) 0.029 (58) 69
Waikato @ Rangiriri (C) Waikato 0.302 (59) 0.530 (59) 0.0269 (74) 0.068 (72) 70
Wairua @ Purua Northland 0.364 (61) 0.754 (69) 0.0203 (71) 0.072 (74) 71
Manawatu @ Opiki Br. (C) Manawatu-Wanganui 0.458 (68) 0.808 (71) 0.0199 (69) 0.071 (73) 72
Mataura @ Seaward Down (B) Southland 0.951 (73) 1.266 (76) 0.0146 (65) 0.033 (64) 73
Waipa @ Whatawhata (B) Waikato 0.605 (71) 0.959 (72) 0.0195 (68) 0.068 (71) 74
Waihou @ Te Aroha Waikato 1.009 (74) 1.209 (75) 0.0574 (75) 0.096 (75) 75
Tarawera @ Awakaponga (B) Bay of Plenty 0.400 (65) 0.653 (66) 0.0827 (77) 0.117 (76) 76
Waingongoro @ SH45 Taranaki Region 1.785 (77) 2.160 (77) 0.0725 (76) 0.127 (77) 77

*Standard score = value - median / interquartile range