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Lake Tūtira

Alongside SH2 north of Napier, are the twin lakes of Tūtira and Waikōpiro.  These culturally significant lakes are located along an ancient Māori travelling trail. The lakes were formed by a land slide at least 7200 years ago.  Waikōpiro flows into Tūtira under a narrow strip of land, and the two lakes are effectively one lake during high water levels. A DOC wildlife reserve and Regional Council's regional park border the lake, as well as private land.  Lake Tūtira is one of the most scientifically studied lakes in New Zealand with core samples showing evidence from storms and eruption ash falls.

Lake Tūtira has a maximum depth of 42 metres and an average depth of 21m, has a surface area of 174 hectares and is approximately 155 metres above sea level. Water stays in the lake for at least 3 years.

Lake Tūtira is popular for trout angling and is regularly stocked by Hawke’s Bay Fish and Game. There are campsites with basic amenities around the lake and in the Regional Park area, and its proximity to Hawke’s Bay urban areas makes the lakes a valued and well-used natural asset.

Water quality monitoring buoy  - the Hawke's Bay Regional Council have a monitoring buoy on Lake Tutira above one of the deeper parts (42m) for a long-term study of the lake. The buoy measures dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll, cyanobacteria, water temperature and turbidity.

Algal blooms - Data from the buoy also helps the Regional Council scientists investigate the causes of algal blooms which regularly impact the lake in summer.  Algae is naturally present in fresh water but in warmer conditions, there can be a population explosion which turns the lake water green and produces an odour. The Regional Council is working with the lake bed owner, Maungaharuru-Tangitū Trust, and other organisations to find solutions to the algal bloom problem. Other brown blooms are caused by microscopic animals called dinoflagellates, which are harmless.  In nearby Lake Waikōpiro, the Regional Council is trialing an aerator to bubble oxygen through the water and mix the water layers to reduce algal blooms.

Hydrilla Eradication - A long-term programme (Ministry of Primary Industries funded) aims to eradicate the plant pest Hydrilla from the lake by using grass carp to forage the plant. The plant is now almost gone from the lake, and native milfoils are returning.

Erosion control & forestry - An erosion control and sustainable land management programme is in place in the park, managed by the Hawke's Bay Regional Council. Many of the trees in the park have been planted by community groups, school groups and the Regional Council staff volunteers.  Since 2012 a mānuka block has been planted in partnership with Comvita NZ Ltd to assess the viability of producing valuable UMF mānuka honey as a sustainable land use on steep east coast hill country.

The Tūtira Regional Park is also a demonstration site for sustainable land management, and as well as enhanced wetlands, native bush and an arboretum has a trial plantation of high UMF manuka; the aim is to find how well this scrub cover performs to improve water quality and provide a profitable crop on steep Hawke’s Bay hillsides.

Lake Summary
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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 Tūtira
    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 Tūtira 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 Tūtira
    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 Tūtira 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 Tūtira

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No sites found.

 Live Data

Click here to view Lake Tūtira live monitoring data: Tūtira Lakes Monitoring Data

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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