Hazards, boating notices and events

Two sets of railway irons have been spotted poking out of the Waiau Uwha River, west of SH1. One set is in the middle of the river channel. The other set is on the north side of the river channel.

We will remove the railway irons as soon as possible. In the meantime, please stay alert and keep your speed low in the area.

Rivers including the Poulter, Waiau, Waipara and Okuku may be adjacent to historic fencing that could encroach on the waterways.

River users are advised to check the area they are boating in prior to using the river. Before entering the water please ensure you are aware of any hazards and take safety precautions to avoid getting entangled.

If you come across any man-made hazards on the river, please take a photograph with details of the exact location and send it to harbourmaster@ecan.govt.nz. If you are also aware of the contact details for the adjoining landowners, please also forward this information. We can then update our hazards page so the public is aware of any action being taken to remediate the issue.

A sub-surface hazard approximately 4.5km upstream of SH1 Bridge has been notified by Transpower. River users are advised to navigate with extra caution in this area. Updates will be provided as the removal work progresses.

Transpower recently completed restoration work following damage to the Roxburgh to Islington transmission line, which was caused by the flooding of the Rangitata River in December 2019.

One transmission tower, Tower 771, had to be replaced in a new location. The damaged tower structure has been removed, however, due to river levels, the remains of the tower foundations have not been able to be retrieved. These are currently 1–2m below the surface.

When flow conditions are favourable, plans to remove the foundations will be put in place. The foundations are expected to be removed in early 2021.

A yellow buoy has been attached to the foundation and will be checked during regular line patrols. Coordinates of both the old tower and new tower are shown:

Fluctuating water levels on various waterways, including rivers, lakes, and lagoons in Canterbury may result in fences, waratahs, or other objects being obscured from view and sitting below the surface. All water users are strongly recommended to exercise caution and keep your speed to 5 knots or less within 200 metres of the shore, unless the area is uplifted or has any other form of speed exemption. It is the responsibility of the skipper of the vessel to ensure that the area you are using is navigable and safe to transit.

Sputniks are large concrete blocks with protruding steel beams that were historically used on rivers for bank protection. Many still exist on some rivers, including several in the lower Clarence / Waiau Toa, some of which are navigation safety hazards for those boating the river. For more information see the Sputniks notice (PDF 710 kB).

Submerged and semi-submerged objects including tree stumps have been reported in the Brooklands Lagoon water ski area. Users of this area are advised to exercise caution as these objects may be difficult to see, particularly if navigating at towing speed.