The Regional Council’s system to notify water consent holders of low flow water levels will be back online from Wednesday 11 October 2023.

This comes as an El Niño weather pattern has developed in the Pacific, with an increased risk for dry conditions and falling river levels in Hawke’s Bay.

After Cyclone Gabrielle, the Regional Council’s low flow system was temporarily suspended and notifications to consent holders stopped.

The low flow system will be brought back online and watertake consent holders who have low flow conditions in their consents will start receiving notifications as water levels in rivers and streams drop.

The Regional Council records water levels at 50 river sites in Hawke’s Bay, from the Hangaroa River in the north to the Pōrangahau River in the south. The Regional Council measures river flow at 41 of these sites and this information is combined with water level data to produce continuous flow records.

When a river or stream goes below a certain flow rate, it’s considered to be in low flow – and may put additional stress on the waterway - and each river or stream has different low flow levels.

When the flow in rivers or streams falls too low, then watertake consent holders who have low flow conditions in their consent must stop taking water.

To find out more about low flows, go to hbrc.govt.nz, search #lowflows

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