Rain and snow falls across the whenua | land, with heavier falls concentrated on the Southern Alps | Kā Tiriti o te Moana, replenishing kā roto | lakes and kā awa | rivers, nourishing the whenua and sustaining life.

CURRENT PRESSURES:

• Climate change:

  more frequent droughts, heavier rain and snow events, atmospheric carbon dioxide making water more acidic, and shifting seasons – all of which put strain on water systems

WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

• INSTALLING A RAIN TANK:

  or rain harvesting system prevents strain on our stormwater systems during heavy rain, and builds resilience in the community.

Lake Wānaka and Lake Hāwea store wai | water, ready for plants, animals and people | tangata. They are vital reservoirs that reflect the health of the wider environment.

CURRENT PRESSURES:

• Aquatic pests on the move:

  streams and rivers feed into the lakes. Unknown to them, invasive aquatic pests (like lake snow) have hitched a ride and are being hand delivered straight into the lakes.

• Human activity:

  people moving recreational gear (like boots, boats, paddle boards and fishing equipment) between waterways, without cleaning it properly. Even a single drop of contaminated water can carry didymo, which can travel from infested rivers into the lakes.

WAI Action initiatives:

• Education and citizen science:

  we believe that lasting change starts with tangata | people and that means supporting behaviour change, not just delivering information. Our goal is to make it easier for tangata | people to understand the impact of their actions, and to take small, meaningful steps that protect wai māori | freshwater.

• A Teeny Tiny Truth:

  a research project that investigates microplastics in wai māori | freshwater, while empowering the community to participate and drive change.

• Check, clean, dry:

  stop the spread of invasive non-indigenous species, by checking your gear for any plant material, cleaning it with detergent, bleach or hot water and then dry it thoroughly (recommended time is 48 hours) before it enters another waterway. Didymo can survive for months on moist gear.

Wai | Water is taken from kā roto | lakes and kā awa | rivers for things like drinking, growing food and generating power. We have a responsibility to use wai | water wisely and return it in good health.

CURRENT PRESSURES:

• HUMAN ACTIVITY:

  we all use water daily, whether it’s drinking, bathing, cooking, recreating or for electricity at home or at work. Water also generates renewable energy through the hydro dams.

• Tourism growth:

  more tangata | people on the whenua | land and in the wai | water puts extra pressure on our infrastructure, ecosystems and our most popular spots, including pollution from freedom camping.

WAI Action initiatives:

• On-farm water quality monitoring:

  biodiversity and wai māori | freshwater monitoring helps landowners track changes over time to make data-based decisions to protect and improve biodiversity within and contaminated runoff from their farm systems. We’ve developed a monitoring package to assist landowners to collect and collate this information, including visual soil assessments, stream and lake health assessments, bird counts and vegetation photo points.

• Education and citizen science:

  we believe that lasting change starts with tangata | people and that means supporting behaviour change, not just delivering information. Our goal is to make it easier for tangata | people to understand the impact of their actions, and to take small, meaningful steps that protect wai māori | freshwater.

• Urban catchment groups:

  we support the establishment and ongoing efforts of urban action groups across the Upper Clutha, with a focus on wai māori | freshwater and biodiversity improvement. Each group determines their own priorities, taking ownership of their projects while being supported and facilitated by WAI Wānaka.

• Rural catchment groups:

  there are five active groups in the Upper Clutha. Each has determined priorities for the catchment and are working collaboratively to address issues in their local area to protect and enhance ecosystems. WAI supports these groups by connecting experts, local businesses and funding opportunities, group co-ordination and facilitation and assisting with funding applications.

• Community education programmes:

  we’re working with 83% of schools and early education centres in the Upper Clutha catchment, to build a passionate community of water advocates with the skills and knowledge to be the current and future voices for healthy wai | water. Through hands-on experiences like exploring local wetlands, encountering freshwater species like tuna | longfin eels, encountering pest species (i.e. didymo) and participating in on-farm trips, we nurture a strong sense of stewardship for the whenua | land and wai | water.

Wai | water is filtered and treated at a wastewater facility, then sent back onto the whenua | land before it reaches the kā roto | lakes and kā awa | rivers.

CURRENT PRESSURES:

• Extreme rainfall and flooding:

  heavy rain events can overwhelm treatment systems, leading to contamination and overflow. Floodwaters often carry sediment, pathogens, and chemicals that complicate treatment.

• Drought and water scarcity:

  reduced rain, snow and glacier retreat mean less wai māori | freshwater entering reservoirs and aquifers, kā awa| rivers, kā roto | lakes and wetlands, contributing to lower-quality sources.

• EXPANDING URBAN LAND USE:

  rapid urban growth is overtaking capability of urban wastewater management infrastructure with consequent declining water quality.

• EMERGING CONTAMINANTS:

  pollutants like microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and industrial chemicals are getting harder to detect and remove.

• LAND RUNOFF:

  increased contamination from human land use including farming, agriculture and urban environments, challenges treatment methods.

• ALGAL BLOOMS:

  warmer temperatures and nutrient-rich runoff promote blooms that clog filters and release toxins.

WAI Action initiatives:

• On-farm water quality monitoring:

  indigenous biodiversity and wai māori | freshwater monitoring helps landowners track changes over time to make data-based decisions to protect and improve biodiversity within their farm systems. We’ve developed a monitoring package to assist landowners to collect and collate this information, including visual soil assessments, stream and lake health assessments, bird counts and vegetation photo points.

• A teeny tiny truth:

  a research project that investigates microplastics in wai māori | freshwater, while empowering the community to participate and drive change.

• Education and science:

  we believe that lasting change starts with tangata | people and that means supporting behaviour change, not just delivering information. Our goal is to make it easier for tangata | people to understand the impact of their actions, and to take small, meaningful steps that protect wai māori | freshwater

• Changing water filters regularly:

  if you notice a significant drop in water pressure at home, it might pay to check and clean your water filter.

The ra | sun warms the roto | lake water, turning some of it into tiny wai | water vapors.

CURRENT PRESSURES:

• INCREASED EVAPORATION:

  warmer temperatures lead to fast evaporation, which can dry out soils and reduce wai | water availability/li>

• INCREASED WATER ACIDITY:

  carbon dioxide dissolves in wai | water, increasing acidity.

• MORE EXTREME WEATHER:

  uneven heating causes stronger winds and shifts in precipitation patterns, leading to floods or droughts.

• SNOWPACK REDUCTION:

  stronger sunshine and warmer āngi | air reduces snow accumulation and accelerates snowmelt, affecting seasonal wai | water supplies.

Action initiatives:

• On-farm biodiversity:

  helps landowners track changes over time to make data-based decisions. We’ve developed a monitoring package to assist landowners to collect and collate this information, including visual soil assessments, vegetation photo points and bird monitoring.

• Physiographics:

  we developed a tool for landowners, to provide insights into how topography, soil and geology affect land use, effects on wai | water quality and soil greenhouse gas emissions. The project aims to help landowners make data-based decisions and investments in land management practices, focusing on best return on investment and avoiding wasted resources.

• INCREASED GREEN SPACES:

  we’re advocating for “spongier” towns through water-sensitive urban design to help slow water down. This could look like rain gardens, wetlands and green spaces that soak up runoff.

The tiny wai | water vapors float up into the āngi | air.

CURRENT PRESSURES:

• GLOBAL TEMPERATURE RISE:

  is caused by accumulation of greenhouse gases (mainly carbon dioxide and methane) which traps the ra | sun’s heat, warming the earth’s surface, oceans and atmosphere. The warm atmosphere holds more wai | water, leading to increased rain with greater variability (more floods and droughts). More frequent droughts mean increased evaporation from soil, kā roto | lakes, kā awa | rivers, reservoirs and oceans.

Action initiatives:

• Planting trees:

  we work with community groups and Te Kākano Aotearoa Trust, for planting days. Trees provide shade, reduce wind speed and increase humidity, all of which slow evaporation.

• Urban action groups:

  are community-led and established through neighbourhood groups, schools, clubs etc or formed around a specific environmental or sustainability goal. We have a number of local groups already, but would love to hear from you if you’re keen to start a new one.

• RESTORING WETLANDS:

  we work with community groups and Te Kākano Aotearoa Trust, we have a few wetlands in our rohe | region, including Butterfields, Glendhu Bullock Creek, Penrith and Beacon Point. We work with Friends of Bullock Creek, Beacon Point Rd restoration group, Te Kākano Aotearoa Trust, and schools to protect, restore and educate around the local wetlands. Wetlands hold and filter wai | water, cleaning it before it reaches the kā roto | lakes and kā awa | rivers.

The tiny wai | water vapors gather together to form clouds. When they become full, the rain falls and the cycle begins again.

CURRENT PRESSURES:

• CLIMATE CHANGE:

  rising temperatures turbocharge the water cycle, making floods, storms, and droughts more intense and less predictable.

WAI Action initiatives:

• NATIVE PLANTING:

  creates erosion resilience for flooding, traps carbon and provides shade, is cooling and releases oxygen.

• RESTORING WETLANDS:

  we work with community groups and Te Kākano Aotearoa Trust, we have a few wetlands in our rohe | region, including Butterfields, Glendhu Bullock Creek, Penrith and Beacon Point. We work with Friends of Bullock Creek, Beacon Point Rd restoration group, Te Kākano Aotearoa Trust, and schools to protect, restore and educate around the local wetlands. Wetlands hold and filter wai | water, cleaning it before it reaches the kā roto | lakes and kā awa | rivers.