Lake Whangape Restoration Project

Through the Lake Whangape Restoration Project, we have provided funding to farmers to undertake farm management practices that will result in less nitrogen entering the lake.

We want to understand how effective this funding has been. So, we’re asking all landowners in the Lake Whangape catchment to complete a short survey.

Please complete the survey by Monday, 31 October 2022. If you have any questions about the project or survey to contact Jacqueline Henry, Senior Social Scientist on 0800 800 401.

About the project

With a catchment area of 35,000ha, Lake Whangape is the second largest lake in the lower Waikato River catchment.

Lake Whangape and its immediate surroundings are immersed in a rich and deep historical narrative. The lake sustained many generations of Māori, who managed it carefully to ensure it maintained its reputation as a formidable food basket resource.

Sadly, more than 50 years of activity on surrounding land – and other factors – have led to degradation of the lake and its surrounds.

Restoring lake water quality will be a long process because there are multiple issues to address. However, the partners in the five-year restoration project are committed to working together and with the local community to address the environmental impacts.

The $2.9 million restoration project was launched in 2018 with the aim of:

• installing and upgrading fences to exclude stock from Lake Whangape, and adjoining wetlands and native forest
• reducing the amount of nitrogen reaching the lake by implementing nutrient mitigation projects in the Lake Whangape catchment
• planting at least 53,000 plants, around the lake margin
• enhancing 140ha of high conservation value wetlands through targeted weed control and alligator weed containment
• developing a Kaitiaki Monitoring Framework using Mātauranga Māori to identify and describe values and aspirations, guide implementation, and monitor effectiveness of the restoration of Lake Whangape.

The project is on track to achieve these aims, which in turn will help to improve the lake’s water quality over time.

The project’s a partnership between the Department of Conservation (DOC), landowners in the Lake Whangape catchment, Waikato Regional Council and Waikato-Tainui through Ngā Muka Development Trust and Waahi Whaanui Trust.

In addition to funding from the council, Waikato-Tainui and DOC, landowners in the Lake Whangape catchment have contributed to fencing costs and paid at least 50 per cent of the cost of nutrient management projects.

The project also has financial support from the Waikato River Authority and the Ministry for the Environment through the Government’s Freshwater Improvement Fund.

Responses are anonymous.