Aquatic Ecology of Lake Rotokare, Taranaki, and Options for Restoration
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Aquatic ecology of Lake Rotokare, Taranaki, and options for restoration 2013 ERI report number 14 A report prepared for the Rotokare Scenic Reserve Trust by Brendan J. Hicks, Dudley G. Bell, Ian Duggan, Susie Wood1 and Grant Tempero Environmental Research Institute School of Science Faculty of Science and Engineering University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105 Hamilton 3240, New Zealand 1Cawthron Institute, Private Bag 2, Nelson 7042, New Zealand 2 Table of contents Executive summary ................................................................................................................................. 5 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 7 Methods .................................................................................................................................................. 9 Water quality ...................................................................................................................................... 9 Conductivity and Secchi disc depth ................................................................................................ 9 Dissolved oxygen ............................................................................................................................. 9 Dissolved nutrients ......................................................................................................................... 9 Fish .................................................................................................................................................... 11 Zooplankton and phytoplankton ...................................................................................................... 12 Results ................................................................................................................................................... 13 Water quality .................................................................................................................................... 13 Conductivity and Secchi disc depth .............................................................................................. 13 Dissolved oxygen ........................................................................................................................... 13 Dissolved nutrients ....................................................................................................................... 15 Fish .................................................................................................................................................... 17 Perch and eels ............................................................................................................................... 17 Banded kokopu ............................................................................................................................. 21 Phytoplankton ................................................................................................................................... 22 Zooplankton ...................................................................................................................................... 23 Discussion ............................................................................................................................................. 23 Water quality .................................................................................................................................... 23 Algal blooms ...................................................................................................................................... 25 Fish .................................................................................................................................................... 25 Zooplankton ...................................................................................................................................... 26 Management options ........................................................................................................................ 26 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................... 27 References ............................................................................................................................................ 28 3 Tables Table 1. Fish previously recorded in Lake Rotokare. Source: http://www.rotokare.org.nz/fauna.asp . 8 Table 2. Length‐weight relationships used to calculate fish weights. .................................................. 11 Table 3. Dissolved oxygen and temperature profile data for Lake Rotokare on 2 February 1977 at site 5 (Fig. 2) and between 1130 and 1345 h on 9 February 2013 at site 7 (Fig. 3) (source of 1977 data: Taranaki Catchment Commission 1980). ........................................................................... 14 Table 4. Dissolved nutrient concentrations measured in Lake Rotokare on 9 February 2013. ............ 16 Table 5. Dissolved nutrient concentrations measured in Lake Rotokare on 2 Sep 1976 and 1 Feb 1977 (source: Taranaki Catchment Commission 1980). ...................................................................... 16 Table 6. Number of fish caught by boat electrofishing in Lake Rotokare on 9 and 10 February 2013. Blank cells indicate zero catch. ................................................................................................... 18 Table 7. Density of fish caught by boat electrofishing in Lake Rotokare on 9 and 10 February 2013. Blank cells indicate zero catch. ................................................................................................... 18 Table 8. Total weight of fish caught by boat electrofishing in Lake Rotokare on 9 and 10 February 2013. Blank cells indicate zero catch. ......................................................................................... 18 Table 9. Biomass of fish caught by boat electrofishing in Lake Rotokare on 9 and 10 February 2013. Blank cells indicate zero catch. ................................................................................................... 19 Table 10. Phytoplankton in Lake Rotokare sampled by vertical plankton net hauls on 9 February 2013. ........................................................................................................................................... 22 Table 11. Zooplankton in Lake Rotokare sampled on 9 February 2013. ............................................. 23 Table 12. Cyanobacterial cell counts for Lake Rotokare from 2009‐2012 (source: Taranaki Regional Council 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014). ..................................................................................... 25 4 Figures Figure 1. Location of Lake Rotokare in the Tangahoe River catchment. Open circle indicates small stream sampled for banded kokopu. ........................................................................................... 8 Figure 2. Sites sampled for water quality in Lake Rotokare between 1976 and 1980. Numbered arrows indicate inflows to the lake (source: Taranaki Catchment Commission 1980). ............. 10 Figure 3. Location of boat electrofishing tracks (shown as coloured traces) that were fished in Lake Rotokare, Taranaki, on 9 and 10 February 2013. The same location was fished twice as sites 2 and 6. .......................................................................................................................................... 12 Figure 4. Mean Secchi depth measured at four sites in Lake Rotokare in summer 1980 (source: Taranaki Catchment Commission 1980). Errors bars are 95% confidence interval). ................. 13 Figure 5. Depth and temperature profiles for Lake Rotokare for A. 2 February 1977 at site 5 (Fig. 2) and B. 9 February 2013 at site 7 (Fig. 3) (see Table 3 for data). ................................................. 14 Figure 6. Water from 10‐m depth showing the black colouration caused by manganese oxide that accumulates as a precipitate under anaerobic conditions. ........................................................ 15 Figure 7. A wide size range of perch caught by boat electrofishing at night. ....................................... 17 Figure 8. Longfin eel (1126‐mm long, 45‐cm girth, 2.582 kg calculated weight) caught by boat electrofishing at night at site 6 (Fig. 3) in Lake Rotokare on 9 Feb 2013. .................................. 17 Figure 9. Length‐frequency distribution of A. perch and B. shortfin eels in Lake Rotokare on 9‐10 February 2013. ............................................................................................................................ 20 Figure 10. Banded kokopu (225‐mm total length) that was caught by hand netting in a small stream at the northern end of Lake Rotokare on 9 February 2013. ....................................................... 21 Reviewed by: Approved for release by Kevin Collier Bruce Clarkson University of Waikato University of Waikato Hamilton, NZ Hamilton, NZ 5 Executive summary Lake Rotokare is a 17.8‐ha natural lake in eastern Taranaki, located 12 km east of Eltham in the 230‐ ha Rotokare Scenic Reserve. In 2008, the Rotokare Scenic Reserve Trust completed construction of an 8.2‐km predator proof fence around the reserve. Frequent algal blooms in summer have led to long periods of lake closure to boating and contact recreation. As there are few lakes in the Taranaki region,