The protection of groundwater dependent ecosystems in Otago, New Zealand

Surface waters (streams, rivers, and wetlands) are the most important groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDEs) in Otago, New Zealand. Pumping wells in the vicinity can deplete water in the GDE. In Otago, most of the surface water resources are allocated and a method, which would assist in the implementation of water management policy, is needed to acknowledge the strong hydraulic link between surface and shallow groundwater. A simplified method has been developed which derives a numerical relationship between the bore pumping rate and the distance between the bore and surface water body beyond which depletion is considered insignificant. A range of GDE depletion scenarios are examined at various combinations of hydraulic parameters to find a minimum distance for a given pumping rate, at which 90% of the modelled surface water depletion scenarios become less than a threshold GDE depletion after a specified time. A buffer zone, based on the minimum distance is placed around GDEs, and groundwater abstraction rights within the buffer are subject to stricter rules. Applicants wishing to abstract from bores within the buffer zone will need to address the environmental impact of the proposed activity on the GDE.