Groundwater Reports

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Groundwater Reports

Technical Report

A methodology to model groundwater flow in sub-areas of the Canterbury Plains (6080 KB)
This report describes the component methodologies used to develop a numerical groundwater flow model over the central Canterbury Plains area.
Author: Thorley, MJ and DM Scott Published: 22/09/2011 Type: Technical Report
A review of nitrate toxicity to freshwater aquatic species (1685 KB)
Environment Canterbury commissioned a review of the ANZECC (2000) and the 2002 revised guideline value freshwater quality guidelines for chronic nitrate (NO3-N) concentrations in surface waters and groundwaters, together with advice on application of guidelines to seasonally varying concentrations (i.e., in groundwaters, rivers and lowland streams). Specific consideration was also requested regarding the availability of data for indigenous and representative species, together with introduced species resident in Canterbury’s aquatic ecosystems.
Author: NIWA Published: 14/06/2009 Type: Technical Report
Age and source of Canterbury plains groundwater (3115 KB)
This report applies hydrochemical methods (chlorofluocarbons (CFCs), tritium, oxygen-18) to determine the ages and sources of groundwater in the Canterbury Plains.
Author: Mike Stewart, Vanessa Trompetter and Rob van der Raaij Published: 21/04/2002 Type: Technical Report
Annual Groundwater Quality Survey Spring 2010 (920 KB)
Annual Groundwater Quality Survey, Spring 2010
Published: 13/09/2011 Type: Technical Report
Annual groundwater quality survey, spring 2009 (5509 KB)
This report is a summary of the 2009 annual groundwater quality monitoring survey, which presents a general picture of groundwater quality in the Canterbury region as of the spring of 2009 and also discusses long-term trends in nitrate concentrations.
Author: Phil Abraham Carl Hanson Published: 20/06/2010 Type: Technical Report
Aquifer Test at Someton Station, well L36 1801 (1515 KB)
A constant rate discharge test was conducted over 14 days at Somerton Station, using well L36/1801, which is screened from 170.89 m to below ground surface.
Author: Mike Thorley Published: 22/09/2011 Type: Technical Report
Aquifer Test Guidelines - July 2008 (706 KB)
This report provides best practice guidelines for the design, analysis and reporting of aquifer tests and is a revision of the 1998 Aquifer Test Guidelines (Brooks).
Author: Philippa Aitchison-Earl and Matt Smith Published: 21/07/2008 Type: Technical Report
Christchurch-West Melton Groundwater Quality: a review of groundwater quality monitoring data from January 1986 to March 2002 - Part A (to page 79) (6659 KB)
This report presents the analysis and interpretation of groundwater quality data collected over the 16 years (1986 -2002) in the Christchurch-West Melton groundwater management zone.
Author: S A Hayward Published: 21/07/2002 Type: Technical Report
- Christchurch-West Melton Groundwater Quality: a review of groundwater quality monitoring data from January 1986 to March 2002 - Part B - Pages 80 to 141 (4231 KB)
Depth and spatial variation in groundwater chemistry - Central Canterbury Plains (3986 KB)
This report summarises the results of a groundwater chemistry investigation that was undertaken by Environment Canterbury in early 2008 to improve the understanding of the depth and spatial variation in groundwater chemistry in the area known locally as the Central Plains, between the Waimakariri River and the Rakaia River.
Author: Carl Hanson and Phil Abraham Published: 20/02/2009 Type: Technical Report
Groundwater Allocation Limits: Land-based Recharge Estimates (4878 KB)
This report describes the methodology adopted for estimates of aquifer recharge, and provides land-based recharge estimates (rainfall plus irrigation) for 21 of the 30 Groundwater Allocation Zones defined in the NRRP.
Author: David Scott Published: 21/09/2004 Type: Technical Report
Groundwater quality investigation of the Rangitata-Orari area (7926 KB)
One of Environment Canterbury’s responsibilities is to monitor the quality of the groundwater resource in the Canterbury region. We do this by regular sampling of a network of wells across the region and, from time to time, conducting more detailed investigations aimed at a specific groundwater quality problem or a smaller local area. The Rangitata-Orari groundwater quality survey described in this report was one such investigation.
Author: L Scott, C Hanson, R Cressy Published: 14/12/2011 Type: Technical Report
Groundwater quality monitoring - annual summary, 2001-02 (1675 KB)
This report summaries the analytical results and records all samples collected by the groundwater quality-monitoring programme in the 2001/02 financial year.
Author: Phil Abraham and Carl Hanson Published: 21/12/2002 Type: Technical Report
Groundwater resources associated with the Rakaia riparian sub-area: assessment of technical and allocation issues (4136 KB)
This report addresses four options: whether to formalise the current Rakaia riparian sub-area as a stand alone groundwater resource allocation zone; whether to enlarge the current riparian sub-area; whether to introduce special management criteria in the sub-area; and whether to adopt the status quo (do nothing). The report also responds to concerns submitted by the Southbridge Water Users Group (SWUG), who with other consent holders in the Rakaia-Selwyn Groundwater Allocation Zone, are currently (August 2009) undergoing a consent review as part of the Restorative Programme for Lowland Streams.
Author: Howard Williams Published: 01/08/2009 Type: Technical Report
Groundwater resources in the Te Waihora/ Lake Ellesmere catchment: management issues and options (4552 KB)
The Te Waihora / Ellesmere catchment contains a combined surface water and groundwater resource that can be managed in an integrated manner and within the limits of the resource, to avoid diminution of flows and decline in groundwater levels.
Author: Howard Williams: May 2010 Published: 10/01/2012 Type: Technical Report
Guidelines for the Assessment of Groundwater Extraction Effects on Stream Flow - 2001 (4997 KB)
This technical guideline has been prepared to help the recognition of situations where significant stream depletion effects may occur and to provide tools that quantify the effects of groundwater abstraction on surface waterways.
Author: Pattle Delamore Partbners Ltd & Environment Canterbury Published: 21/06/2000 Type: Technical Report
- Guidelines for the Assessment of Groundwater Extraction Effects on Stream Flow - Section 1 (71 KB)
- Guidelines for the Assessment of Groundwater Extraction Effects on Stream Flow - Section 2 (1579 KB)
- Guidelines for the Assessment of Groundwater Extraction Effects on Stream Flow - Section 3 (243 KB)
- Guidelines for the Assessment of Groundwater Extraction Effects on Stream Flow - Section 4 (158 KB)
- Guidelines for the Assessment of Groundwater Extraction Effects on Stream Flow - Section 5 (277 KB)
- Guidelines for the Assessment of Groundwater Extraction Effects on Stream Flow - Section 6 (193 KB)
- Guidelines for the Assessment of Groundwater Extraction Effects on Stream Flow - Section 7 (95 KB)
- Guidelines for the Assessment of Groundwater Extraction Effects on Stream Flow - Section 8 (42 KB)
- Guidelines for the Assessment of Groundwater Extraction Effects on Stream Flow - Section 9 (36 KB)
- Guidelines for the Assessment of Groundwater Extraction Effects on Stream Flow - Appendix A (435 KB)
- Guidelines for the Assessment of Groundwater Extraction Effects on Stream Flow - Appendix B (836 KB)
- Guidelines for the Assessment of Groundwater Extraction Effects on Stream Flow - Appendix C (80 KB)
- Guidelines for the Assessment of Groundwater Extraction Effects on Stream Flow - Appendix D (419 KB)
- Guidelines for the Assessment of Groundwater Extraction Effects on Stream Flow - Appendix E (211 KB)
Land-surface recharge and groundwater dynamics - Rakaia-Ashburton Plains (4836 KB)
Land-surface recharge (LSR), river recharge and groundwater abstraction are water budget components which influence the dynamic behaviour of the groundwater system. This study describes the occurrence of groundwater across the Rakaia-Ashburton Plains, and uses an eigenmodel to explore the relationship between these drivers and the observed groundwater dynamic behaviour.
Author: Michael J. Thorley, Vincent J. Bidwell, David M. Scott Published: 03/02/2010 Type: Technical Report
Modelling of stream discharge and groundwater levels in the Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere catchment (2422 KB)
This report describes the results of analytical modelling of stream discharges and groundwater levels under a series of different recharge and groundwater use scenarios.
Author: Williams: 2011 Published: 10/01/2012 Type: Technical Report
Nitrate concentrations in Canterbury groundwater - a review of existing data (2634 KB)
This report reviews and analyses the existing groundwater nitrate data held by Environment Canterbury.
Author: Carl R Hanson Published: 21/08/2002 Type: Technical Report
Nitrate contamination and groundwater chemistry - Ashburton-Hinds plain (3551 KB)
This report presents the results from a number investigations conducted in 2004 to create a snapshot of nitrate concentrations in groundwater across the Ashburton-Hinds plain. It then examines data that have been collected since 2004 to update the conclusions drawn from the 2004 data.
Author: Carl Hanson and Phil Abraham Published: 31/05/2010 Type: Technical Report
Nitrate contamination of groundwater Ashburton-Rakaia plains (1194 KB)
This report presents the results of the three separate investigations into nitrate concentrations in groundwater in the lower Ashburton-Rakaia plains.
Author: S A Hayward & C R Hanson Published: 21/04/2004 Type: Technical Report
NRRP Groundwater Allocation Policy Implementation - Analysis and Implications (354 KB)
This report outlines the results of an analysis using the policies and rules for the setting of groundwater allocation limits in Chapter 5 of the NRRP and to identify the approach for processing consent applications to abstract groundwater.
Author: Anna Veltman, Malcolm Miller, John Glennie, John Talbot Published: 21/02/2004 Type: Technical Report
Proposed Additions to South Canterbury Groundwater Allocation Zones (2314 KB)
This report discusses the options for groundwater allocation, and recommends the creation of two new groundwater allocation zones: Cannington Basin and Timaru.
Author: Mike Thorley, Philippa Aitchison-Earl, Jen Ritson, Shirley Hayward Published: 22/09/2011 Type: Technical Report
Review of water allocation limits for the South Canterbury downlands (3875 KB)
This report redefines the Groundwater Allocation Zone boundaries based on geology and major surface water catchments across the South Canterbury downlands area.
Author: Mike Thorley, Marc Ettema Published: 22/09/2011 Type: Technical Report
Steady-State Flow Models of the Area Between the Rakaia and Waimakariri Rivers (5643 KB)
The purpose of this work was to develop a groundwater flow model of the Central Plains area to support an initial assessment of nitrate discharge to groundwater from agricultural land use, using the AquiferSim model.
Author: David Scott, Mike Thorley Published: 22/09/2011 Type: Technical Report
Te Waihora (Lake Ellesmere) water balance modelling (3694 KB)
Te Waihora (Lake Ellesmere) water balance modelling
Author: NIWA - Horrell: September 2011 Published: 10/01/2012 Type: Technical Report
Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere catchment: ecological values and flow requirements (2883 KB)
Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere catchment: ecological values and flow requirements.
Author: Burrell: May 2011 Published: 10/01/2012 Type: Technical Report
Vertical flow in Canterbury groundwater systems and its significance for groundwater management (3297 KB)
This technical report has been prepared for a wide-ranging audience including technical experts, water resource managers and decision makers. The report investigates the degree of interaction and connection between sedimentary deposits located at different depth intervals in Canterbury.
Author: Hilary Lough and Howard Williams Published: 11/08/2009 Type: Technical Report