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Lake Okareka

Lake Okareka is in an ignimbrite plateau and has steep caldera walls on its north-eastern side, testament to the processes that formed the Haroharo Caldera. The lake receives most of its input via groundwater seepage, run-off and rainfall, and has a maximum depth of 34m. Lake level is controlled via a valve at Waitangi Spring and a channelled and piped stream. The discharge flows into Lake Tarawera.

Lake Okareka has a catchment area of 19.6sq km and the lake area is 3.4sq km. The catchment is approximately half-forested, with nearly 75 percent of that being indigenous forest. The remaining land is largely pastoral or invasive vegetation, with some urban development at the lake’s southern end. Okareka is of high recreational and aesthetic value and has undergone in-lake treatment to reduce phosphorus levels. It has moderate water quality and productivity and is classed as mesotrophic. The lake was subject to nutrient enrichment from septic tank inputs and pasture, although the pastoral area has been reduced and the waste water from the residential properties is now treated in the Rotorua city sewage treatment plant. The Lake Okareka Catchment Management Plan was agreed in 2004. This is a long-term plan to improve the water quality of the lake through interventions such as sewage reticulation, in-lake chemical treatment and farm nutrient management. As a result, the lakeside community’s wastewater was reticulated in 2011.

Lake Summary
  • Lake size
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  • Maximum depth
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  • Catchment size
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  • Mixing pattern
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Scientific data for this lake

This dashboard shows information on the data collected by the regional councils and unitary authorities for two indicators of lake water quality and ecological condition: TLI (Trophic Level Index) and LakeSPI (Lake Submerged Plant Indicators).  Select an indicator to see the historical results.

  • Water Quality

    Trophic Level Index (TLI)

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    The TLI score is an indicator of lake health and is determined from a suite of water quality measurements.

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    Trophic Level Index (TLI) history for this lake

    The TLI score for a lake is calculated from four water quality measurements – chlorophyll a, total nitrogen, total phosphorus and water clarity. If water clarity is unavailable, TLI is calculated using the other three water quality measurements. A higher score indicates poorer water quality.

    View a factsheet on TLI

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    TLI history for Lake Okareka
    Year

    What do the icons mean?

    VERY GOOD
    Very good water quality. Trophic Level Index of 0-2. Microtrophic lake conditions.
    GOOD
    Good water quality. Trophic Level Index of 2-3. Oligotrophic lake conditions.
    FAIR
    Average water quality. Trophic Level Index of 3-4. Mesotrophic lake conditions.
    POOR
    Poor water quality. Trophic Level Index of 4-5. Eutrophic lake conditions.
    VERY POOR
    Very poor water quality. Trophic Level Index of greater than 5. Supertrophic lake conditions.
    NO DATA
    No data available.
    TLI history for Lake Okareka data table
    Year TLI Score
    Year TLI Score
     Download data
  • Ecological Conditions

    Lake Submerged Plant Indicators (LakeSPI)

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    The LakeSPI status describes the ecological condition of the lake and is based on plants present.

    LakeSPI data provided by NIWA

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    LakeSPI history for this lake

    LakeSPI (Lake Submerged Plant Indicators) is a method of characterising the ecological condition of lakes based on the composition of native and invasive plants growing in them. A higher LakeSPI percentage result is associated with better ecological health:

    LakeSPI N/A
    LakeSPI {{spiData.details.Value}}%

    The overall LakeSPI score is calculated using a Native Condition Index ('good' plants) and an Invasive Impact Index (introduced, non-native plants):

    Native Condition N/A
    Native Condition {{spiData.details.NativeIndex}}%
    Invasive Impact N/A
    Invasive Impact {{spiData.details.InvasiveIndex}}% NA

    A higher Native Condition value indicates better ecological condition, but a higher Invasive Impact value indicates invasive plants are negatively impacting native plant communities.
    View a factsheet on LakeSPI for more information on these indicators.

    • LakeSPI
    • Native Condition
    • Invasive Impact
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    LakeSPI history for Lake Okareka
    Year

    What is this graph showing me?

    This graph is displaying the overall LakeSPI score over time. The results denote the ecological condition of the lake.

    EXCELLENT
    Excellent ecological health. A LakeSPI score of 75-100%.
    HIGH
    High ecological health. A LakeSPI score of 50-75%.
    MODERATE
    Moderate ecological health. A LakeSPI score of 20-50%.
    POOR
    Poor ecological health. A LakeSPI score of 0-20%.
    NON-VEG
    Non-vegetated. A LakeSPI score of 0% (there are no plants present).
    NO DATA
    No data available.
    LakeSPI history for Lake Okareka data table
    Sample Date LakeSPI Status LakeSPI % Native Condition Index % Invasive Impact Index %
    LakeSPI information has been provided by NIWA.
Sites

Monitored sites on Lake Okareka

...retrieving sites.

No sites found.

 Live Data

The lake level is the only measurement collected continuously at Lake Okareka.

Please see the BOPRC Environmental Data Portal for more live and historical lake data. Only the latest sample is displayed here.

Disclaimer

The Environmental Data displayed on this page should be used as a guide only. LAWA takes no responsibility for the accuracy of information presented, and accepts no liability for actions taken of others based on this information.
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