Marlborough region

Surface Water Zone: Marlborough Sounds

The Marlborough Sounds includes hundreds of streams flowing directly into the marine environment. While the Pelorus River is covered separately, the remainder have been grouped together into a single zone.

There are several larger tributaries included within the Sounds zone, including the Kaituna River, Kenepuru River, Graham River and Waikawa Stream. Of these only the Kaituna River has significant importance as an economic water resource.

Kaituna River

The Kaituna River flows northward from near Okaramio on SH6 into the Pelorus Sound at Havelock. It has a catchment area of about 150 km2 with adjoining hills up to 1300 metres. The Kaituna runs for about 20 km with a low gradient main stem, fed by tributaries including Mount Riley Stream, Okaramio River and Atahaua Creek.

Water Use
Sites

Surface Water in this Zone

Regional councils collect information about how much water is available and manage resource consents for those wishing to take water from rivers and streams. Use the buttons below to view information on: how much water is available, where it comes from and how its used.

Water Quantity

Rainfall Runoff to sea Surface Water available: Irrigation
Industrial
Stock
Hydroelectrical
Town supply

How much surface water is there in this zone?

Rainfall and flow in this surface water zone

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Rainfall and runoff

Relative breakdown	Source	Volume
Rainfall total:	Rainfall Total
Runoff total:	Runoff to sea

The table above shows the average amount of rainfall the water management zone receives each year and how much of that flows out to sea. These are approximate figures only.

Water consents: How much water is consented and used?

Surface water available to consent

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Consented water in this surface water zone

Use the tables below to look at how much water is available compared with how much is actually consented within this water management zone. Click the plus to expand subzones where available

Water consents: How is consented water used?

Consents by use in this surface water zone

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Consented water

Overall annual volume for

Relative breakdown

Activity	Percentage of total consented	Total volume	Number of consents
Total	%	m³

The above table shows the proportion of water consented for irrigation, industrial, stock, town supply and other.

It excludes stock water as the taking of stock water in Marlborough is a permitted activity and a resource consent is not required or issued for this activity.