Coastal Restoration Trust of New Zealand

Coastal Dune Ecosystem Reference Database

Assessment of the ecological condition of lakes in the Waikato region using LakeSPI – 2010

Author
Tracey Edwards, Mary de Winton, John Clayton
Year
2010
Journal / Source
NIWA Client Report: HAM2010-065
Pages
111 pp
Summary
All lakes of the Waikato Region have shown a significant reduction in LakeSPI scores from the pre 1900 ‘pristine’ state. Lakes displayed a wide range of current LakeSPI scores from having no submerged vegetation (0%) to a maximum LakeSPI Index of 89%. From the lakes assessed for this report, one lake was classified in ‘excellent’ condition (LakeSPI Index ≥ 75%); four lakes in ‘high’ condition, eleven in ‘moderate’ condition, seven in ‘poor’ condition and the remaining twenty-nine lakes were classified as ‘non-vegetated’ (LakeSPI Index 0%). Lakes were also considered according to their lake type as peat, riverine, volcanic, hydro or dune lakes.