Publication Search
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May 2019This report analyses environmental conditions that cause the growth of periphyton in streams and rivers. Read more -
September 2020An evaluation report and compilation spreadsheet of available tools, databases and resources relating to the distribution of threatened freshwater species and their habitats in New Zealand. Read more -
September 2019This draft NIWA report provides the first attempt to develop bottom-line thresholds for suspended and deposited sediment based on ecological responses for New Zealand rivers and streams. Read more -
May 2020This NIWA report summarises existing literature on the consequences of delaying reductions to nutrient inputs on rivers, estuaries and lakes. Read more -
April 2015One of two reports that assessed the options and implications of using the Macroinvertebrate Community Index (MCI) as an attribute in the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management. It looked at identifying potential threshold values to define numeric attribute states for MCI. Read more -
December 2013An investigation into the feasibility of using freshwater fish predictive models in national state of the environment indicators. Read more -
December 2018Ministry for the Environment, in partnership with Bay of Plenty Regional Council, commissioned a literature review to get an accessible summary of relevant research carried out in New Zealand on methods to manage sediment and their economic assessment. Read more -
May 2018This report outlines the establishment of reference conditions and trigger values. Reference conditions are defined as the chemical, physical or biological conditions that can be expected in streams and rivers with minimal or no anthropogenic influence. Read more -
September 2020This document provides detailed technical guidance about the new freshwater planning process (FPP) introduced by the Resource Management Amendment Act 2020. Read more -
October 2018This document captures areas of shared interest in water quality and ecosystem health improvements and defines how the Crown and Māori will work together to make improvements to New Zealand’s freshwater. Read more -
June 2002Information for lake managers on pest fish and weeds in New Zealand lakes. Read more -
May 2018Phormidium is a potentially toxic, mat-forming benthic cyanobacterium found in an increasing number of New Zealand rivers. This report outlines a study which investigated drivers of Phormidium blooms in New Zealand rivers to predict risk of blooms. Read more -
April 2019This report summarises analysis methods and outcomes for modelling New Zealand’s river water quality. Read more -
April 2019This report summarises analysis methods and outcomes for modelling New Zealand’s lake water quality. Read more -
May 2019This report develops a model predicting the reference state for stream macroinvertebrates across New Zealand. Read more -
May 2020A literature review of studies that jointly considered climate and freshwater policy in New Zealand. Read more -
September 2019This data report provides an annual data picture of brassica grown in New Zealand. Read more -
October 2018This document sets out the Government’s plan to restore and protect freshwater in New Zealand. Read more -
June 2010The report assesses how well Integrated catchment management is working in New Zealand for managing freshwater quality. Read more -
November 2001This protocol identifies and describes standardised protocols for use by agencies throughout New Zealand for macroinvertebrate biomonitoring. Read more -
May 2019This report provides information to help interpret trends in water quality of New Zealand’s lakes and rivers. Read more -
October 2018This document describes a framework for assessing the biophysical ecosystem health of fresh water in Aotearoa New Zealand. Read more -
July 2006This report investigates approaches for the allocation and subsequent reallocation of water in New Zealand, including situations of over-allocation. Read more -
April 2018This report provides an analysis of New Zealand’s wetland loss for the period summer 2001/2 through to summer 2015/2016. Read more -
May 2019This report presents and tests a macroinvertebrate metric for New Zealand streams and rivers that is sensitive to changes in flow. Read more -
April 2019This report summarises analysis methods and outcomes for modelling nitrate-nitrogen leaching from livestock in New Zealand, from 1990 to 2017. Read more -
May 2020This report presents research conducted by Lincoln University on the willingness to pay for the various attributes associated with New Zealand’s green premium. Read more -
May 2020This Castalia report estimates the administrative costs imposed under the Action for healthy waterways package for New Zealand’s 16 regional councils. Read more -
May 2019This report presents and tests a range of macroinvertebrate metrics for New Zealand streams and rivers that are sensitive to changes in sediment and periphyton. Read more -
October 2019This NIWA consultant report provides analysis of state and trends in a number of water quality variables in urban rivers and streams in New Zealand. Read more -
November 2013This report compiles a list of mitigation strategies for managing water quality that are currently available in New Zealand. It provides a commentary on their relative cost-effectiveness. Read more -
November 2013This report compiles a list of mitigation strategies for managing water quality that are currently available in New Zealand. It provides a commentary on their relative cost-effectiveness. Read more -
March 2020Phormidium (now called Microcoleus) is a cyanobacterium (toxic algae) that grows in some New Zealand rivers. Read more -
March 2020Phormidium (now called Microcoleus) is a cyanobacterium (toxic algae) that grows in some New Zealand rivers. It produces neurotoxins called anatoxins and ingestion of cyanobacteria mats has caused numerous dog deaths. Read more -
March 2020Phormidium (now called Microcoleus) is a cyanobacterium (toxic algae) that grows in some New Zealand rivers. Read more -
February 2017Sediment is an important contaminant in New Zealand freshwaters. This report presents the development of an analytical framework to empirically relate various key instream measures of sediment to catchment sediment loads. Read more -
May 2018The Managing Upstream project aims to help inform management decisions when establishing freshwater objectives under the Freshwater NPS and increase knowledge on the state of different estuary types in New Zealand. Read more -
May 2018The Managing Upstream project aims to help inform management decisions when establishing freshwater objectives under the Freshwater NPS and increase knowledge on the state of different estuary types in New Zealand. Read more -
March 2008This technical report estimates the extent of dioxin contamination at sawmill sites in New Zealand where pentachlorophenol (known as PCP) was used as a timber treatment in sprays or dips until its withdrawal in 1988. Read more -
June 2016This report presents the findings of a review of continuous dissolved oxygen data in New Zealand including an assessment of observed dissolved oxygen concentrations in relation to the National Objectives Framework (point source) band thresholds. Read more -
July 2008This proposed National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management sets out the objective and policies for managing New Zealand's freshwater resources under the Resource Management Act 1991. The NPS came into effect on 1 July 2011. Read more -
May 2020This report presents the modelled results of the impact of the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (2017) and two variants of the Essential Freshwater package on New Zealand’s economy in 2030 and 2050. Read more -
May 2010This report is one of two prepared for the Ministry for the Environment by NIWA, which update national indicator data for river water quality in New Zealand and help provide the evidence base for policy and decision makers. Read more -
September 2005During 2005/06 the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) undertook a review of New Zealand’s environmental performance. This information sheet outlined the nature and process of the review and how interested individuals and groups could get involved. Read more
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September 2009This report provides an update of results for indicators of groundwater quality in New Zealand. It summarises average water quality at almost 1000 monitoring sites over the period 1995-2008, as well as trends at the same sites within that period of time. Read more -
May 2018Phormidium is a potentially toxic, mat-forming benthic cyanobacterium found in an increasing number of New Zealand rivers. This report outlines a study which assessed Phormidium toxin levels in the Cardrona (Otago), Mataura (Southland) and Hutt (Wellington) Rivers in 2017. Read more -
December 2009The Water Research Strategy sets out the issues for water management and guides investment in water research. It is intended to guide the science sector to deliver the information and tools required to enable world class management of water resources in New Zealand. Read more -
December 2018Ministry for the Environment, in partnership with Bay of Plenty Regional Council, commissioned Perrin Ag Consultants Ltd and Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research to assess the farm/orchard-gate economic impact of applying a range of mitigation practices to reduce losses of nitrogen, phosphorus, E. coli and sediment. Read more -
February 2017This report has been produced to test potential consequences of setting freshwater objectives for hydro scheme operations. Modelling was undertaken of a selection of various scenarios involving an increase in minimum flows in selected rivers to assess the impact of draft proposals to amend the NPS Freshwater Management on the New Zealand electricity system. Read more -
July 2017Since 2015, Gisborne District Council (GDC) and Beef and Lamb New Zealand have been engaging with Rere farmers to try and raise water quality together to a swimmable standard. Farmer interest and participation in the project has been high and this report tells the story of the Rere Project to date, including lessons, next steps and strategic implications. Read more