Deep Water Monitoring

NIWA - Check up on Lake Taupo

A monitoring buoy in Lake Taupō delivers continuous data on lake water quality, providing an up-to-date picture of the lake health.

BioFish Survey of Lake Taupo, 2006

CBER Report 68 Prepared for Lakes and Waterways Action Group. By Chris McBride, David Hamilton, Max Gibbs, Paul White and Louise Stewart

Deep Buoy Site Monitoring

Waikato Regional Counci’s monitoring of Lake Taupo’s open water quality shows the lake continues to be of high quality, clear and low in nutrients. However, increasing nitrate levels in the bottom waters of the lake could lead to increases in algae, which can reduce clarity. WRC measures Secchi depth at their open water sampling site to monitor Lake Taupo’s water clarity over time. They also collect water samples in the top 10 metres of the lake at this site to measure chlorophyll a, total phosphorus and total nitrogen. The online table gives their average values for the period 2013 to 2017 compared with typical levels for oligotrophic lakes in general. The results show that Lake Taupo. currently has excellent water quality that is clear and low in nutrients.

“Results at the Deep Buoy monitoring by Waikato Regional council show that Lake Taupo currently has excellent water quality that is clear and low in nutrients.”