River loss to irrigation too much

Environment Canterbury is not ruling out further protection of the Rangitata River, after a plea by concerned anglers.

The New Zealand Salmon Anglers’ Association (NZSAA) has made a deputation to ECan over concerns about the river, which has been subject to a Water Conservation Order (WCO) since 2006.

NZSAA spokesman Paul Hodgson told ECan staff and councillors that anglers want the intent and deed of the order to be honoured.

‘‘This can be achieved by including its requirements in a planning checklist for consents on the Rangitata River, and to form an essential element in the planning process for the river going forward.’’

Hodgson said anglers knew the behaviour of the river better than most people.

‘‘While not all anglers have a tertiary science, environmental or engineering degree, expert anglers have a PhD with honours in angling. To be an expert angler, you need to understand river morphology, the ecology of the river, river dynamics and most importantly be able to spot and adapt to changes in the river to catch fish.’’

He said anglers had recently observed the river flat lining at the mouth.

‘‘This means the river flow now no longer rises because of the rainfall events, as it used to. Often it makes no meaningful difference to the flows at the mouth after a rain event,’’ he said.

‘‘There is not enough flow change at the mouth to trigger the optimum catching conditions for salmon and trout.’’

Hodgson said a cap on abstraction is required by the WCO legislation, but to date the cap has got lost in the planning process.

‘‘Anglers believe that the management of flows above 110 cubic metres per second is best managed by the statutory process as agreed back in 2005,’’ he said.

‘‘Non-statutory plans are optional, can be stopped, paused and only parts implemented with discretion even after agreement has been reached for the plan.’’

ECan deputy chairman Peter Scott, of South Canterbury, said the Government’s freshwater reforms, which are likely to be implemented next year, meant the council had to focus on the health of all rivers.

‘‘I imagine there will be changes to how we protect our rivers, but it’s fair to say we don’t have a statutory plan for the Rangitata River in our back pocket.’’

Scott said Environment Minister David Parker was keen to see action on the country’s rivers, and there were a number of discussions to be had with runanga.

Scott said he understood the anglers’ upset about irrigators taking further water at high flows, but at the moment the WCO was the guiding document for the river.

The river has been under the microscope in recent times.

The Waterways Centre for Freshwater Management, a jointresearch centre between the universities of Canterbury and Lincoln, is in the throes of a major study on extraction and sediment build up in the river.

Meanwhile, the NZSAA is working with Canterbury University to create an oral history of the river, and the Department of Conservation has dedicated a ranger to work through projects to restore the river’s health.

An ECan spokesperson said the council has ‘‘very clearly received the anglers’ message regarding the need for more work on the Rangitata River’’.

A cap on abstraction is required by law but the cap has got lost in the planning process. Paul Hodgson NZ Salmon Anglers’ Association