Freshwater Data

Adapted by Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand to provide for environmental reporting transparency. Dataset used to develop the "River water quality: Escherichia coli" indicator (available at www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/river-water-quality-e...).

This dataset contains one parameter of water quality based on measurements made at monitored river sites:

• Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli in river waters is one of five parameters that provide an overview of New Zealand’s river water quality and how it is changing over time.

This dataset includes:

• E. coli concentrations measured at monitoring sites for New Zealand’s river length for the period 2016–2020
• A comparison of measured E. coli concentrations at monitored sites with the proportion of human modified landcover in the upstream catchment area
• predicted risk of Campylobacter infection, as shown by the median concentration, 95th percentile and percentage of results above 260 and 540 colony forming units per 100 millilitres (cfu/100 mL) compared to the National Objectives Framework (NOF) bands related to human contact

More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf.

Summary report available at environment.govt.nz/publications/environment-aotea....

Adapted by Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand to provide for environmental reporting transparency. Dataset used to develop the "River water quality: Escherichia coli" indicator (available at www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/river-water-quality-e...).

This dataset contains one parameter of water quality based on measurements made at monitored river sites:

• Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli in river waters is one of five parameters that provide an overview of New Zealand’s river water quality and how it is changing over time.

This dataset includes:

• trends in concentrations of E. coli based on measurements made at monitoring sites during the 10-year period from 2011 to 2020, the 20-year period from 2001 to 2020, and the 30-year period from 1991 to 2020.

More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf.

Summary report available at environment.govt.nz/publications/environment-aotea....

Adapted by Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand to provide for environmental reporting transparency. Dataset used to develop the "River water quality: Escherichia coli" indicator (available at www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/river-water-quality-e...).

This dataset contains one parameter of water quality based on measurements made at monitored river sites:

• Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli in river waters is one of five parameters that provide an overview of New Zealand’s river water quality and how it is changing over time.

This dataset includes:

• adjusted trends in concentrations of E. coli based on measurements made at monitoring sites during the 10-year period from 2011 to 2020, the 20-year period from 2001 to 2020, and the 30-year period from 1991 to 2020.

More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf.

Summary report available at environment.govt.nz/publications/environment-aotea....

Adapted by Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand to provide for environmental reporting transparency. Dataset used to develop the "River water quality: Escherichia coli" indicator (available at www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/river-water-quality-e...).

This dataset contains one parameter of water quality based on modelled data for rivers:

• Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli in river waters is one of five parameters that provide an overview of New Zealand’s river water quality and how it is changing over time.

This dataset includes:

• E. coli concentrations modelled for New Zealand’s river segments without monitor sites for the period 2016–2020

More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf.

Summary report available at environment.govt.nz/publications/environment-aotea....

Note that this is a large dataset so is provided as a shapefile, and will need a GIS application to view.

Adapted by Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand to provide for environmental reporting transparency. Dataset used to develop the "River water quality: macroinvertebrate community index" indicator (available at www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/river-water-quality-m...).

Benthic macroinvertebrates are small animals without backbones (for example, insects and worms). They live on and under submerged logs, rocks, and aquatic plants on the beds of rivers and streams during some part of their life cycle. Macroinvertebrates play a central role in stream ecosystems by feeding on periphyton (algae), macrophytes (aquatic plants), dead leaves and wood, or on each other. In turn, they are an important food source for fish and birds.

The macroinvertebrate community index (MCI) is used as an indicator of water quality and overall stream health. It is one of five parameters that provide an overview of New Zealand’s River water quality and how it is changing over time. This data shows:

• trends in median MCI scores for the 10-year period from 2011 to 2020, the 20-year period from 2001 to 2020, and the 30-year period from 1991 to 2020.

More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf. Summary report available atenvironment.govt.nz/publications/environment-aotea... .

Adapted by Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand to provide for environmental reporting transparency. Dataset used to develop the "River water quality: macroinvertebrate community index" indicator (available at www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/river-water-quality-m...).

Benthic macroinvertebrates are small animals without backbones (for example, insects and worms). They live on and under submerged logs, rocks, and aquatic plants on the beds of rivers and streams during some part of their life cycle. Macroinvertebrates play a central role in stream ecosystems by feeding on periphyton (algae), macrophytes (aquatic plants), dead leaves and wood, or on each other. In turn, they are an important food source for fish and birds.

The macroinvertebrate community index (MCI) is used as an indicator of water quality and overall stream health. It is one of five parameters that provide an overview of New Zealand’s river water quality and how it is changing over time. This data shows:

• MCI scores as measured median values at monitored sites for the period 2016–2020
• how these compare to the macroinvertebrates National Objectives Framework (NOF) bands related to ecosystem health.

More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf. Summary report available at environment.govt.nz/publications/environment-aotea....

Adapted by Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand to provide for environmental reporting transparency. Dataset used to develop the "River water quality: macroinvertebrate community index" indicator (available at www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/river-water-quality-m...).

Benthic macroinvertebrates are small animals without backbones (for example, insects and worms). They live on and under submerged logs, rocks, and aquatic plants on the beds of rivers and streams during some part of their life cycle. Macroinvertebrates play a central role in stream ecosystems by feeding on periphyton (algae), macrophytes (aquatic plants), dead leaves and wood, or on each other. In turn, they are an important food source for fish and birds.

The macroinvertebrate community index (MCI) is used as an indicator of water quality and overall stream health. It is one of five parameters that provide an overview of New Zealand’s River water quality and how it is changing over time. This data shows

• trends in median MCI scores for the 10-year period from 2011 to 2020, the 20-year period from 2001 to 2020, and the 30-year period from 1991 to 2020.

More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf. Summary report available at environment.govt.nz/publications/environment-aotea....

Note that this is a large dataset so is provided as a shapefile, and will need a GIS application to view.

Adapted by Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand to provide for environmental reporting transparency. Dataset used to develop the "River water quality: phosphorus" indicator (available at www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/river-water-quality-p...).

Phosphorus in river waters is one of five parameters that provide an overview of New Zealand’s river water quality and how it is changing over time. Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for plants and is a natural component of healthy rivers. Agricultural and urban land use, and infrastructure such as wastewater treatments plants, can add more phosphorus to waterways, which can increase algae growth and biomass. This in turn causes deterioration of river habitats.

This dataset includes:

• concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) and dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) modelled for New Zealand’s river length, expressed as percentiles for the period of 2016–2020

More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf. Summary report available at environment.govt.nz/publications/environment-aotea...

Note that this is a large dataset so is provided as a shapefile, and will need a GIS application to view.

Adapted by Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand to provide for environmental reporting transparency. Dataset used to develop the "River water quality: macroinvertebrate community index" indicator (available at www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/river-water-quality-m...).

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Benthic macroinvertebrates are small animals without backbones (for example, insects and worms). They live on and under submerged logs, rocks, and aquatic plants on the beds of rivers and streams during some part of their life cycle. Macroinvertebrates play a central role in stream ecosystems by feeding on periphyton (algae), macrophytes (aquatic plants), dead leaves and wood, or on each other. In turn, they are an important food source for fish and birds.

The macroinvertebrate community index (MCI) is used as an indicator of water quality and overall stream health. It is one of five parameters that provide an overview of New Zealand’s river water quality and how it is changing over time. This data shows:

• MCI scores as modelled median values for New Zealand’s river length for the period 2016–2020

More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf. Summary report available at environment.govt.nz/publications/environment-aotea....

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Adapted by Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand to provide for environmental reporting transparency. Dataset used to develop the “River water quality: Nitrogen” indicator, (available at www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/river-water-quality-n...).

Nitrogen in river waters is one of five parameters that provide an overview of New Zealand’s river water quality and how it is changing over time. Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plants and algae. Some nutrient supply is a natural component of healthy rivers, but agricultural and urban land use, and infrastructure such as wastewater treatment plants, can add more nitrogen to waterways. Too much nitrogen can lead to excessive growth of algae, which can deteriorate river habitats. In very high concentrations, some forms of nitrogen, including nitrate-nitrogen and ammoniacal nitrogen, can be toxic to aquatic life.

This dataset shows:

• concentrations of total nitrogen (TN), nitrate-nitrite-nitrogen (NNN) and ammoniacal nitrogen (NH4N) modelled for New Zealand’s river length, expressed as percentiles for the period 2016–2020

More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf.

Summary report available at environment.govt.nz/publications/environment-aotea...