Love Our Lakes this summer and beyond
An annual campaign to keep the Waitaki and Mackenzie lakes beautiful is ramping up for summer with new signage, and fresh giveaways.
Since 2016, Love Our Lakes has encouraged visitors and locals to respect the environment when enjoying the water.
The campaign is run by the Upper Waitaki Water Zone Committee and promotes ongoing messages, including poo in a loo (not near the lake!), bin your rubbish, and to check clean dry your boating gear.
To reinforce these messages, new Love Our Lakes signs are being installed at key locations, including at boat ramps and freedom camping areas.
Posters will also be distributed at recreational hot spots, and Love Our Lakes-themed products including tote bags will be on offer at summer events.
Signs to remind visitors to respect the environment
Community support for Love Our Lakes
Upper Waitaki Water Zone Committee chair, Mat Bayliss, says the Love Our Lakes campaign has become well-known throughout the Mackenzie and Waitaki districts.
"It’s great to see people taking these messages on-board and understanding that protecting water quality is everyone's responsibility.
"Our annual summer campaign is about taking a few simple steps such as using a toilet, disposing of your rubbish sensibly and cleaning your boating gear so it doesn’t spread pests. By doing this, we can help look after the lakes themselves - and protect the environment we all love and respect."
Plan ahead when visiting the lakes
The Mackenzie district is a magnet for tourists.
Figures from Infometrics show the area clocked more than half-a-million visitor nights during the year to March 2023 - and that’s with the impacts of COVID-19 still being felt. Read the full quarterly economic monitoring report.
This swell in population makes it even more important for people to do the right thing, including planning toilet stops.
Environment Canterbury water science team leader, Shirley Hayward, says some bays can be particularly sensitive to contamination.
"When temporary health warnings pop up at beaches, it’s usually related to faecal contamination or toxic algae. Please take notice of any health warnings in place."
Love Our Lakes to protect them for future generations
Shirley says it’s not just human waste that causes harm.
"Plastics and paper left on the shoreline break down and get washed into the lake, which can affect the health of the waterway."
Tell others about Love Our Lakes
Committee members will be out spreading the Love Our Lakes message to both locals and visitors this summer.
Mat encourages others to do the same.
"We need everyone to Love Our Lakes so we can protect what we have for future generations."
For more information, visit ecan.govt.nz/loveourlakes.
Check LAWA for water quality
Visit Can I Swim Here? on the LAWA website to find out where’s good to swim.