Water quality issues and management solutions of an iconic urban lake

Pukekura Park lies in a central location within the city of New Plymouth. In recent years, the water quality of the Park's lakes has been significantly impacted due to progressive development in the wider catchment. The aim of this study was to identify the major water quality issues of the Park and prepare a catchment management plan which could be used to mitigate the effects of these through low impact solutions. The study found that the Park's watercourses were nutrient enriched with some high bacteriological counts, zinc concentrations and accumulated sediment. Catchment management solutions included both installation of stormwater treatment devices on each of the major contributing tributaries and point source control to improve the water quality of the park's water bodies. Other methods include gross pollutant removal from urban areas, the dredging and removal of fine sediment, the immediate removal of lawn clippings from the Park's mown areas as well as a community education programme to involve the wider commun ity in playing a role in sustainability of the Park's water resources. This paper presents the methodology, outcomes and the resulting work which sought to link water quality issues with their causes, and to then identify mitigation and improvement solutions.