Upper Clutha Lakes Trust Board

Lakes, rivers and streams are vital parts of the Upper Clutha’s iconic natural environment. While water quality and ecosystem function in the area is generally very good, our waterways are being impacted by increasing pressures from agricultural and commercial development, rapid urban expansion, invasive species and steadily increasing tourist numbers.

The effects were noticeable this past summer, with E.coli outbreaks, lake snow, algae blooms, flooding, pollution, swimming restrictions, water restrictions and concerns about drinking water quality.

It is much harder to fix water problems than it is to prevent them happening in the first place. The Upper Clutha Lakes Trust Board is a collaborative group made up of numerous community members and agencies associated with the Upper Clutha region working together to understand water needs from every perspective.

Your support will help to ensure that future generations can continue to enjoy our lakes, rivers and streams as we do today.

We work with our community to better understand the impacts of growth so that we can act now to protect, preserve and restore the Upper Clutha waterways. This involves wide collaboration and communication with iwi, urban residents, tourism operators, visitors, farmers, ORC, QLDC and scientists.