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Lake Tarawera

Lake Tarawera is in the southwest section of the Haroharo Caldera. It covers 41sq km and is more than 87m at its deepest. The catchment is largely covered in indigenous forest and scrub, with about 20 percent pasture cover and 16 percent exotic forest. There is urban development around the western fringe of the lake and the community relies on septic tanks for disposal and treatment of effluent.

Seven other lakes feed into Tarawera. Direct inputs are from Lake Okareka via Waitangi Springs and Lake Rotokakahi via the Te Wairoa Stream. Lake Rotomāhana flows through a buried stream at times of high lake levels and via other groundwater paths, as do Lakes Tikitapu and Okataina. Lakes Ōkaro and Rerewhakaaitu contribute via the Rotomāhana connection. The lake drains into the Tarawera River via an outlet at the eastern end of the lake. Geothermal input to the lake is through springs in the lake bed towards the south-western shore. Lake Tarawera has low productivity and is classed as oligotrophic, with good water quality. Elevated levels of blue-green algae sometimes occur in localised areas in summer. Reticulation of sewage is being considered for the lake, along with ongoing land management initiatives. Bay of Plenty Regional Council and the University of Waikato have established a monitoring buoy on the lake. Data received from this buoy will help identify changes in water quality.

Lake Summary
  • Lake size
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  • Maximum depth
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  • Catchment size
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  • Mixing pattern
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  • Geomorphic type
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Scientific data for this lake

This dashboard shows information on the data collected by the regional councils and unitary authorities for two lake water quality and ecological condition measurements. LakeSPI (Lake Submerged Plant Indicators) and TLI (Trophic Level Index).  Select an indicator to see the historical monitoring data.

  • Water Quality

    Trophic Level Index (TLI)

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    This measure is the Trophic Level Index (TLI). The TLI indicates the life supporting capacity of a lake and is based on four water quality indicators.

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    Trophic Level Index (TLI) history for this lake

    Trophic Level Indicator (TLI) which measures four parameters: water clarity, chlorophyll content, total phosphorus and total nitrogen. From these parameters a TLI value is calculated. In cases where water clarity data is missing a three parameter TLI is calculated. The higher the value, the greater the nutrients and fertility of the water which encourages growth, including algal blooms. As a rule, higher TLI scores mean poorer water quality. View a factsheet on TLI

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    TLI history for Lake Tarawera
    Year

    What do the icons mean?

    VERY GOOD
    Very good water quality. Trophic Level Index of 0-2. Microtrophic lake conditions.
    GOOD
    Good water quality. Trophic Level Index of 2-3. Oligotrophic lake conditions.
    FAIR
    Average water quality. Trophic Level Index of 3-4. Mesotrophic lake conditions.
    POOR
    Poor water quality. Trophic Level Index of 4-5. Eutrophic lake conditions.
    VERY POOR
    Very poor water quality. Trophic Level Index of greater than 5. Supertrophic lake conditions.
    NO DATA
    No data available.
    TLI history for Lake Tarawera data table
    Year TLI Score
    Year TLI Score
     Download data
  • Ecological Conditions

    Lake Submerged Plant Indicators (LakeSPI)

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    The LakeSPI status describes the ecological condition of the lake and is based on plants present.

    LakeSPI data provided by NIWA

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    LakeSPI history for this lake

    LakeSPI (Lake Submerged Plant Indicators) is a method of characterising the ecological condition of lakes based on the composition of native and invasive plants growing in them. A higher LakeSPI percentage result is associated with better ecological health:

    LakeSPI N/A
    LakeSPI {{spiData.details.Value}}%

    The overall LakeSPI score is calculated using a Native Condition Index ('good' plants) and an Invasive Impact Index (introduced, non-native plants):

    Native Condition N/A
    Native Condition {{spiData.details.NativeIndex}}%
    Invasive Impact N/A
    Invasive Impact {{spiData.details.InvasiveIndex}}% NA

    A higher Native Condition value indicates better ecological condition, but a higher Invasive Impact value indicates invasive plants are negatively impacting native plant communities.
    View a factsheet on LakeSPI for more information on these indicators.

    • LakeSPI
    • Native Condition
    • Invasive Impact
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    LakeSPI history for Lake Tarawera
    Year

    What is this graph showing me?

    This graph is displaying the overall LakeSPI score over time. The results denote the ecological condition of the lake.

    EXCELLENT
    Excellent ecological health. A LakeSPI score of 75-100%.
    HIGH
    High ecological health. A LakeSPI score of 50-75%.
    MODERATE
    Moderate ecological health. A LakeSPI score of 20-50%.
    POOR
    Poor ecological health. A LakeSPI score of 0-20%.
    NON-VEG
    Non-vegetated. A LakeSPI score of 0% (there are no plants present).
    NO DATA
    No data available.
    LakeSPI history for Lake Tarawera data table
    Sample Date LakeSPI Status LakeSPI % Native Condition Index % Invasive Impact Index %
    LakeSPI information has been provided by NIWA.
Sites

Monitored sites on Lake Tarawera

...retrieving sites.

No sites found.

 Live Data

The monitoring buoy on Lake Tarawera does not measure pH.

Please see the BOPRC Environmental Data Portal for more live and historical lake data. Only the latest sample is displayed here.

Disclaimer

The Environmental Data produced by this page should be used as a guide only. LAWA takes no responsibility for the accuracy of information presented, and accepts no liability for actions taken of others based on this information.
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