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Canterbury region


The Canterbury region is home to more than 400 lakes throughout the coastal, lowland and high country environments.  These lakes are a mixture of glacial, riverine, reservoirs and lagoons with a diverse array of wildlife.  Many Canterbury lakes are popular recreational sites for camping, fishing, kayaking, swimming and boating activities such as water skiing.  29 of these lakes are monitored routinely, with the majority of these being located in the high country. High country lakes are monitored by helicopter and only sampled between December and April (due to access).  Additionally, a number of Canterbury lakes are monitored for recreational water quality.

The water quality of lakes in Canterbury is strongly influenced by their locality and associated land use types.  For example, lowland and coastal lakes are typically saturated in nutrients, and predominately in a phytoplankton dominated state.  Whereas, the high country lakes are typically less enriched.  Glacial lakes are of low nutrient and algal biomass state, however the water clarity is generally poor due to high inputs of glacial flour.  Other high country lakes are at risk of nutrient enrichment from increasing land use pressures, and nutrient management is essential for keeping these lakes clear and free of increasing algal biomass.


25 lakes in Canterbury are located in what have been deemed to be "sensitive lake zones".  These area's have been identified to ensure nutrient enrichment from nearby land use is managed, by setting nutrient limits within these zones.  A number of nutrient limit setting processes are currently underway in Canterbury.