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Lake Rerewhakaaitu

Lake Rerewhakaaitu is the southernmost Rotorua Te Arawa lake. At 438m above sea level, it is also the highest. It occupies a shallow basin in the centre of its 37sq km catchment and has a maximum depth of 15.8m. Pasture is the dominant land cover, although exotic and indigenous forest cover has increased over the past few decades.

The small Mangakino and Awaroa Streams to the south feed into the lake and there is no permanent outflow. The Mangaharakeke Stream is the only outlet and flows when the lake level is high. Springs at the head of Te Kauae Stream are likely to be sourced from the lake and groundwater may also flow southeast of the lake through the Rangitaiki Ignimbrite and into the Rangitaiki River catchment. Lake Rerewhakaaitu is shallow, with a maximum depth of about 15m, and is classified as mesotrophic, with moderate productivity and water quality. The lake is known to have iron-rich sediments that may limit phytoplankton production. Monitoring of bottom water-dissolved oxygen concentration is considered important for Rerewhakaaitu, due to the potential for low oxygen levels, which lead to the release of dissolved phosphorus into the water column and increased phytoplankton production. The Rerewhakaaitu community takes an active interest in lake restoration issues and continues to work with the council, NIWA and AgResearch to help reduce the flow of nutrients into the lake. This has resulted in a sustainable farming project that brings the relevant people together to identify and monitor actions to reduce farming nutrient discharge.

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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  • Geomorphic type
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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 Rerewhakaaitu
    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 Rerewhakaaitu 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 Rerewhakaaitu
    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 Rerewhakaaitu 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 Rerewhakaaitu

...retrieving sites.

No sites found.

 Live Data

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

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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