Fish & Game manager warns Waituna Lagoon could become turbid soup after it was opened to the sea stuff.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from stuff.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Opening it to the sea allows that water to drain out. Monitoring for the spring/summer period for 2020/21 is expected to be completed in March but with the lagoon open for second year, the results are not expected to be positive for ruppia growth. The Association, under its resource consent, decides when the lagoon can be opened up to the sea. It can open the lagoon up in spring if water levels reach 2.2m or 2m at other times during the year. Association chairman Ewen Pirie said it had opened the lagoon in spring 2019 when the water reached 2.3 metres, and it was fortunate that they did because the biggest flood since 1984 was coming down the Waituna channel a fortnight after opening it.