A scoping study by the Otago Regional Council (ORC) will spotlight 75 of Otago’s lakes in a step the council says is the first move toward potentially developing a lakes management plan.

ORC senior strategic analyst and project manager James Adams said the regional council wants to determine whether an Otago Lakes Strategic Plan - or other steps to better manage the region’s lakes - are needed.

“This piece of work is an important stock take on lake management. It’ll let us know how well lakes management is working, and how we build on what we’re doing already,” James said.

Otago has more than 7,200 lakes, 61 of them more than ten hectares in size, 418 bigger than one hectare and the remainder being small farm dams or water bodies.

The scoping study will cover 75 lakes, including Lake Hāwea and Lake Wānaka.

Cromwell-based environmental consultancy Landpro has been selected to undertake the scoping study.

James said Landpro would engage with the ORC’s iwi partners Kāi Tahu, local communities and other stakeholders in assessing and protecting the “extremely valuable water bodies”.

The company will review the current framework for lake management; investigate and record the management frameworks currently in place; confirm the value communities place on lakes across Otago; and identify any gaps in the current knowledge, ORC said.

The scoping study will be completed in time for a final report to be delivered by the end of September.

Depending on the outcome of the scoping study, a second stage in the process - to start working towards a lakes plan - may begin.

ORC councillors requested a scoping study in May 2021.

The ORC is the region’s leading organisation on freshwater management, biosecurity and navigation.

PHOTO: Wānaka App