Identifying Feasible Water Management Options for Ecosystem Restoration
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Engineering at Hawksbury Lagoon: identifying feasible water management options for ecosystem restoration Researched and written by Dugald MacTavish & Dr. Robin Mitchell Submitted to the Hawksbury Lagoon Society Incorporated, Waikouaiti, Otago May 2013 Final ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Shirley McKewen and the Hawksbury Lagoon Society & the community of Waikouaiti for providing support and valuable and constructive feedback at the consultation meetings Waikouaiti Coast Community Board for valuable feedback both individually and at the public consultation meetings Greg Kerr and Dick Martin for the provision of local rainfall data Waikouaiti Library for loan of reference material on the Hawksbury Lagoon Otago Regional Council for installing and processing autolevel recorders and providing other information on contaminated sites, flooding, sea levels and existing consents Dunedin City Council, Councilor Andrew Noone and Delta Utilities for aerial photos and reports on the Waikouaiti Landfill Department of Conservation for general support and equipment Derek Onley for comments and suggestions on waterfowl Colin Meurk (Landcare) for comments & advice Jane Forsyth,and John Begg (GNS) for geological information and Chuck Landis, (Retired Geologist) for reviewing the geology and hydrogeology sections Sandy Elliot and Murray Hicks (NIWA) for comments and advice on catchment contaminant modeling and coastal processes respectively Marc Schallenberg (Otago University) for reviewing the draft report Brian Monk for photo in Figure 3.11 NZ Lotteries Commission and the Lion Foundation for jointly funding the project Covering photo View NW across the lagoon toward Derdan Hill (444m) with Mt Watkin (616m) in the distance from the southern end of the main causeway during water testing. The thick peg represents sampling point HKS7 and the other is the transducer used for the continuous water level recordings. The culvert to the left in the causeway is 600mm in diameter and is the main outlet from the lagoon to the estuary. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................... 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................. 3 Executive Summary...................................................................................................................... 7 1 Study purpose & background............................................................................................ 10 1.1 Purpose and report structure ......................................................................................... 10 1.2 The Hawksbury Estuary-Lagoon Complex .................................................................. 10 1.3 Historical context.......................................................................................................... 11 1.4 Land tenure and Management today............................................................................. 13 1.5 Opportunities, constraints and methods........................................................................ 14 1.5.1 Opportunity........................................................................................................... 14 1.5.2 Constraints and limitations ................................................................................... 14 1.5.3 Methods................................................................................................................. 15 1.6 Regulatory description.................................................................................................. 15 1.6.1 Lagoon .................................................................................................................. 15 1.6.2 Estuary .................................................................................................................. 16 1.6.3 East Otago Taiapure.............................................................................................. 17 2 Bio-physical and socio-ecological context ......................................................................... 19 2.1 Catchment, geology and soils ....................................................................................... 19 2.1.1 Catchment configuration and drainage ................................................................. 19 2.1.2 Geology................................................................................................................. 20 2.1.3 Soils....................................................................................................................... 21 2.2 Socio-ecological history of a shallow coastal lagoon................................................... 22 2.2.1 Impacts of extensive human land-use and settlement........................................... 22 2.2.2 Current ecological status....................................................................................... 23 2.2.2.1 Regime oscillation ............................................................................................ 23 2.2.2.2 Residual nutrients held in sediments................................................................. 23 2.2.2.3 Connectivity to fresh and saltwater................................................................... 24 2.3 Native and introduced flora and fauna.......................................................................... 24 2.3.1 Waterfowl – resident and transitory...................................................................... 24 2.3.2 Fish species – resident and transitory ................................................................... 25 2.3.3 Midges................................................................................................................... 26 2.3.4 Flora and planting ................................................................................................. 26 Engineering at Hawksbury Lagoon: identifying feasible water management options for ecosystem restoration 3 May 2013 2.4 Climate change and sea level rise ................................................................................. 27 2.4.1 Climate change projections................................................................................... 27 2.4.2 Sea level rise ......................................................................................................... 27 2.4.3 Climate Change policy on sea level predications ................................................. 28 2.4.4 More recent science around sea level rise............................................................. 29 2.4.5 Implication for water management of the Hawksbury complex........................... 31 2.4.6 Ranking of coastal vulnerability........................................................................... 32 2.5 Community consultation and goal setting..................................................................... 32 2.5.1 April 2011 Workshop ........................................................................................... 33 2.5.2 November 2011 Preliminary report back to the Community................................ 33 2.5.3 Approach to goal-setting....................................................................................... 34 3 Results of investigations ..................................................................................................... 35 3.1 Hydrology ..................................................................................................................... 35 3.1.1 Current water management................................................................................... 35 3.1.2 Rainfall data.......................................................................................................... 35 3.1.3 Run-off.................................................................................................................. 37 3.1.3.1 Hawksbury Lagoon catchment ......................................................................... 37 3.1.3.2 Waikouaiti River catchment ............................................................................. 39 3.1.4 Water level surveys............................................................................................... 40 3.1.4.1 Coast to the lagoon outlet ( Long-Section A) ................................................... 40 3.1.4.2 Outlet of the lagoon to SH1 at Reid St and Aberdeen St ( Long-Section B).... 41 3.1.4.3 Lagoon to Orbells Crossing (Long-section C).................................................. 41 3.1.5 Tidal range ............................................................................................................ 42 3.1.6 Tidal exchange and estuary opening regime......................................................... 45 3.1.7 Freshwater Flood flows......................................................................................... 46 3.2 Water chemistry & quality............................................................................................ 47 3.2.1 Sampling locations and analyses .......................................................................... 47 3.2.2 Water quality results ............................................................................................. 49 3.2.3 Water quality evaluation....................................................................................... 50 3.2.3.1 Nutrients of Nitrogen and Phosphorus.............................................................. 50 3.2.3.2