Mission to improve freshwater quality in Lake Horowhenua
For many people in the Horowhenua when there is an opportunity to see improvements in freshwater quality and especially Lake Horowhenua, then we are keen to explore the options and support the initiative.
We have a big opportunity to make a measurable improvement to Lake Horowhenua through the Arawhata Wetland Project.
This project is about improving the quality of water before it enters the lake, removing nutrients that the lake doesn’t need.
The wetland is being constructed on the south side of Lake Horowhenua and the conceptual design is available on the Horizons website here (bit.ly/arawhata_wetland). Community feedback is being sought and this is an opportunity for you to share your view on the design.
This wetland has the potential to remove at least 50
per cent of the nitrogen from the water in the Arawhata Stream before it enters Lake Horowhenua. This means less nutrients entering the lake to help give the lake more opportunity to repair itself.
Through a series of public meetings over the last few weeks we have heard feedback from a range of groups about what could be done better in the design, including more sediment control, working with local landowners, and the types of plants people would like to see.
The team are working through the feedback and will incorporate this into the next version of the design. If you’re interested, the presentations that were shown to the public they can be viewed here (bit. ly/arawhata_wetland).
The knowledge we are gaining during the course of this project is extremely useful to help inform an integrated catchment approach. The wetland we are building is one part of the larger picture and there is work to do throughout the catchment to ensure the water entering Lake Horowhenua is of a suitable quality to help improve the lake.
On a different note, local council elections are completed now and I wanted to thank the community for the continued support to have me as one of your representatives as Horizons Regional Council. Our commitment to the environment and vision for clean water and thriving biodiversity is clear.
As always, please get in touch if you have questions or feedback.
sam.ferguson@horizons. govt.nz
027 827 7037