Table 3: Environmental flow and level regimes for water bodies in the Waitaki catchment

i.

High Natural-Character Water Bodies as defined in Policy 2a, b and c

a. An allocation limit of 10% of the Mean Annual Low Flow of the water body as assessed by the Canterbury Regional Council

b. No flow-sharing regime

ii.

Tekapo River

a. An allocation limit from Lake George Scott to the confluence with the Grays River of 0 m³/s

b. From the Fork Stream confluence to Lake Benmore, a minimum flow of 3.4 m³/s measured immediately downstream of the Mary Burn confluence

c. An allocation limit from downstream of the Grays River confluence to Lake Benmore of 0.7 m³/s

d. Any taking of water that has been released into the Tekapo River from Lake George Scott for agricultural and horticultural activities is in addition to the allocation limits in a and c above

e. No flow-sharing regime

iii.

Fork Stream and tributaries [Row i. of Table 3 also applies to parts of these water bodies.]

a. A minimum flow of 1 m³/s immediately upstream of the confluence with the Tekapo River

b. An allocation limit of 0.5 m³/s

c. No flow-sharing regime

iv.

Mary Burn, Irishman Creek and their tributaries [Row i. of Table 3 also applies to parts of these water bodies.]

For Irishman Creek upstream of State Highway 8

a. A minimum flow of 0.3 m³/s at State Highway 8, and

b. An allocation limit of 0.3 m³/s

For Mary Burn upstream of State Highway 8

c. A minimum flow of 0.33m³/s at State Highway 8 and

d. An allocation limit of 0.25 m³/s

For Mary Burn and Irishman Creek downstream of State Highway 8

e. A minimum flow of 1.5 m³/s in the Mary Burn immediately upstream of its confluence with the Tekapo River, and

f. An allocation limit of 0.15 m³/s

For all reaches

g. No flow-sharing regime

v.

Grays River and tributaries

a. A minimum flow of 1.8 m³/s in the Grays River at Days Bridge

b. An allocation limit from the Sawdon of 0.25 m³/s

c. An allocation limit from the Edward Stream of 0.25 m³/s

d. An allocation limit from the remainder of the Grays catchment of 0.5 m³/s

e. No flow-sharing regime

vi.

Upper Ōhau River

a. A minimum flow of 8 m³/s from Lake Ōhau to Lake Ruataniwha

b. An allocation limit of 0 m³/s

c. Any taking of water that has been released into the upper Ōhau from Lake Ōhau for agricultural and horticultural activities is in addition to the allocation limit

d. No flow-sharing regime

vii.

Twizel River and tributaries [Row i. of Table 3 also applies to parts of these water bodies.]

For the Twizel River catchment upstream of State Highway 8

a. A minimum flow of 1.0 m³/s at State Highway 8

b. A flow-sharing threshold of 2.6 m³/s

For the Twizel River catchment downstream of State Highway 8

c. A minimum flow of 0.8 m³/s immediately upstream of the confluence with the Ōhau River

d. A flow-sharing threshold of 2.6 m³/s

viii.

Wairepo Creek and tributaries

For the Wairepo catchment upstream of State Highway 8

a. A minimum flow of 0.03 m³/s at the point where the creek is closest to Lake Ōhau Road

For the Wairepo catchment downstream of State Highway 8

b. A minimum flow of 0.03m³/s immediately upstream of the Wairepo lagoon and

For the whole catchment

c. An allocation limit of 0.2 m³/s and

d. A flow-sharing threshold of 0.3 m³/s upstream of the Wairepo lagoon - any water taken, diverted, dammed or used pursuant to the flow-sharing regime is in addition to the allocation limit

ix.

Lake Ruataniwha

a. A minimum lake level of 458 metres a.m.s.l.

x.

All water bodies to which the National Water Conservation (Ahuriri River) Order 1990 applies.

a. The environmental flow regime set in the Order.

xi.

Quail Burn and tributaries

a. A minimum flow of 0.1 m³/s at the Hen Burn Road

b. An allocation limit of 0.31 m³/s

c. A flow-sharing threshold of 1.0 m³/s - any water taken, diverted, dammed or used pursuant to the flow-sharing regime is in addition to the allocation limit

xii.

Hen Burn and tributaries

a. A minimum flow of 0.02 m³/s at the Hen Burn Road

b. An allocation limit of 0.08 m³/s

c. A flow-sharing threshold of 1.4 m³/s - any water taken, diverted, dammed or used pursuant to the flow-sharing regime is in addition to the allocation limit

xiii.

Lake Benmore

a. A minimum lake level of 355.25 metres a.m.s.l.

xiv.

Otematata River

a. A minimum flow of 1.9 m³/s at the "Pumphouse" site

b. An allocation limit of 1.0 m³/s

c. A flow-sharing threshold of 7.6 m³/s - any water taken, diverted, dammed or used pursuant to the flow-sharing regime is in addition to the allocation limit

xv.

Lake Aviemore

a. A minimum lake level of 265.5 metres a.m.s.l.

xvi.

Lake Waitaki

a. A minimum lake level of 227 metres a.m.s.l.

xvii.

Lower Waitaki River

a. A minimum flow from Waitaki Dam to the sea of 150 m³/s, except that:

if, throughout the period from 1 November in any year to the following 30 April, the sum of all the catchment inflows above Waitaki Dam as determined by the Canterbury Regional Council are less than, or equal to, the 1-in-20 year inflows, then, during the following period from 1 June to 31 August, a minimum flow equivalent to the natural flow at Waitaki Dam or 150 m³/s whichever is the lesser

b. From Waitaki Dam to Black Point, flushing flows of at least 450 m³/s for not less than 24 hours are to be provided no less than 7 times per year, no fewer than 2 of which are to be in the period 1 February to 31 March in every year

c. An allocation limit of 90 m³/s not counting any flows abstracted from the Lower Waitaki River above Black Point that are returned to the Lower Waitaki River above Black Point

d. All flows in the Lower Waitaki River determined for the purpose of this item xvii are to be based on measurements at the Kurow recorder [Water level recording site number 71104.] and based on 1-hour rolling averages

e. No flow-sharing regime

xviii.

Awakino River

a. A minimum flow of 0.4 m³/s from October to April at State Highway 83

b. A minimum flow of 0.5 m³/s from May to September at State Highway 83

c. A flow-sharing threshold of 1.0 m³/s

xix.

Hakataramea River

From September to March

a. A minimum flow at the Main Highway recorder site of 0.5 m³/s

b. An allocation limit of 0.5 m³/s

c. Flow-sharing between the thresholds of 1.0 and 4.5 m³/s - any water taken, diverted, dammed or used pursuant to the flow-sharing regime is in addition to the allocation limit

From April to August

d. A minimum flow at the Main Highway recorder site of 0.75 m³/s

e. Flow-sharing between the thresholds of 0.75m³/s and 4.5 m³/s

At all times

f. Any water taken when the river is above 4.5m³/s is in addition to the allocation limit and flow-sharing regime

xx.

Maerewhenua River

a. A minimum flow of 0.4 m³/s at State Highway 83

b. An allocation limit of 0.4 m³/s

c. Flow-sharing between the thresholds of 0.8 and 2.0 m³/s

d. Any water taken, diverted, dammed or used pursuant to the flow-sharing regime is in addition to the allocation limit

e. Any water taken when the river is above 2 m³/s is in addition to the allocation limit and flow-sharing regime

xxi.

Waikakahi Stream

a. A minimum flow of 0.21 m³/s at Te Maiharoa Road

b. An allocation limit of 0.5 m³/s

c. No flow-sharing regime

xxii.

All other rivers and streams (except for the Pūkaki River, lower Ōhau River and the Tekapo River upstream of Lake George Scott)

a. A minimum flow of the 5-year, 7-day low flow as assessed by the Canterbury Regional Council set at the downstream end of the catchment

b. A flow-sharing threshold at the mean flow as assessed by the Canterbury Regional Council

xxiii.

All connected groundwater

a. The environmental flow regime in the relevant surface water body applies

xxiv

Shallow groundwater -

upstream of Lake Benmore; in the Hakataramea catchment; or the Maerewhenua catchment

a. The environmental flow regime in the surface water body to which the groundwater contributes the majority of its flow