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3.1 Potential water bodies of national importance for recreation

We have identified 105 water bodies of potential national importance for recreation. The identified water bodies are listed according to region in Table 1, and then also by recreation type and information source in Appendix 1. This list includes 54 rivers, 30 lakes, and 21 wetlands, lagoons or inlets.

Table 1: Potential water bodies of national importance for recreation
Water body Region
Kai Iwi Lakes Northland
Kaimaumau block Northland
Hikurangi Swamp Northland
Pupuke Lake Auckland
Mangaparo / Clarkes Swamp Auckland
Mangatawhiri Swamp Auckland
Whangamarino Swamp Auckland
Taupo Lake Waikato
Tongariro River Waikato
Waikato River Waikato
Karapiro Lake Waikato
Tauranga/Taupo River Waikato
Mokau River Waikato
Motu River Bay of Plenty
Rotorua Lake Bay of Plenty
Blue Lake Bay of Plenty
Rotoiti Lake Bay of Plenty
Tarawera Lake Bay of Plenty
Green Lake Bay of Plenty
Rotoma Lake Bay of Plenty
Ngongotaha Stream Bay of Plenty
Aniwhenua Lake Bay of Plenty
Mohaka River Hawke's Bay
Waikaremoana Lake Hawke's Bay
Ngaruroro River Hawke's Bay
Pekapeka Swamp Hawke's Bay
Tukituki River Hawke's Bay
Wairoa River Hawke's Bay
Ahuriri Estuary / Westshore lagoons Hawke's Bay
Rangatikei River Manawatu-Wanganui
Whanganui River Manawatu-Wanganui
Manawatu River Manawatu-Wanganui
Otaki River Manawatu-Wanganui
Manganui o te Au River Manawatu-Wanganui
Dune Lakes Manawatu-Wanganui
Hutt River Wellington
Kahangatera and Kohangapiripiri lakes and wetlands Wellington
Wairarapa Lake Wellington
Vernon lagoons Marlborough
Wairau River Marlborough
Delaware inlet Nelson
Whanganui Inlet Nelson
Nelson Lakes Tasman
Motueka River Tasman
Aorere River Tasman
Tekapo Lake Canterbury
Waimakariri River Canterbury
Coleridge Lake Canterbury
Avon River Canterbury
Rakaia River Canterbury
Rangitata River Canterbury
Hurunui River Canterbury
Clarence River Canterbury
Benmore Lake Canterbury
Waitaki River Canterbury
Ellesmere Lake and wetlands Canterbury
Ahuriri River Canterbury
Opihi River Canterbury
Hurunui River Canterbury
Aparima River Canterbury
George Lake and Henderson extension Canterbury
Oreti River Canterbury
Pourakino River Canterbury
Wolds Swamp Canterbury
Aviemore Lake Canterbury
Waiau River Canterbury
Hororata River (lower) Canterbury
Brunner Lake West Coast
Buller River West Coast
Karamea River West Coast
Landsborough River West Coast
Perth River West Coast
Hokitika River West Coast
Arahura River West Coast
Grey River West Coast
Awarua River and Waiuna Lagoon Big Bay West Coast
Birchfield Swamp West Coast
Hermitage Swamp West Coast
Okarito Lagoon West Coast
Okura/Turnbull/ Hapuku Lagoon West Coast
Tawharekiri Lakes complex Waita mouth West Coast
Cascade River West Coast
Waiatoto River West Coast
Moeraki River West Coast
Mikohinui River West Coast
Wanganui River West Coast
Arawata River West Coast
Paringa River West Coast
Okarito Lagoon West Coast
Owowaiti estuary and wetlands West Coast
Saltwater Lagoon West Coast
Wakatipu Lake Otago
Wanaka Lake Otago
Clutha River Otago
Hawea Lake Otago
Blueskin Bay Otago
Dunstan Lake Otago
Kawarau River Otago
Taieri River Otago
Hollyford River Southland
Te Anau Lake Southland
Mataura River Southland
Manapouri Lake Southland
Waituna lagoon and wetlands Southland
Titiroa River Southland

3.2 Regional break-down

Figure 1 shows the regional distribution of water bodies of national importance for recreation. Thirty-eight potential water bodies of national importance for recreational value were identified in the North Island and 67 in the South Island. By region, the most water bodies were identified in Canterbury (22) and the West Coast (24).

Figure 1: Regional distribution of water bodies identified in Table 1 as potentially nationally important for recreation

This graph shows the number of water bodies identified in each region - refer to Table 1.

3.3 Sources of information on water bodies

Table 2 shows the numbers of water bodies identified from different information sources.

Table 2: Water bodies identified for potential national importance according to information source
Information source Number of water bodies identified Reference
Internet survey recreational organisations - water bodies identified by over 10 people 27 BRC, 2004a
Phone survey - water bodies identified by over 10 people 28 BRC, 2004b
Water conservation orders 12 Appendix 3
Whitebaiting information 29 Appendix 4
Wetlands of National Importance 26 Davis, 1987
2001/02 angling survey - over 10,000 angling days recorded Single river 28
Whole catchment 4		 Unwin and Image, 2003
1994/96 angling survey - over 10,000 angling days recorded 25 Unwin and Brown, 1998


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