Canterbury is another region of NZ with both high levels of nitrate in its water and toxic Cyanobacteria in its lowland streams and lakes.
S 30 of the RMA 1991 requires the Environment Canterbury Regional Council (Ecan) to maintain and enhance the region's freshwater quality and quantity by regulating land use.
Ecan however gives priority to GDP.
Increased GDP in Canterbury has been achieved by the irrigation of vulnerable light porous soils to enable intensive dairy farming.
Nitrate leaching comes primarily from cow urine patches with further leaching from excess applications of nitrogen fertilizer.
The Ecan Act 2010 was passed under urgency with the aim of doubling GDP and as a consequence has made the region's freshwater some of the most polluted in the country.
Ecan councilors and staff appear more interested in growing this rather nebulous economic measure while refusing to consider the very real cost to environmental and public health.
The toxic algae warning signs at Te Waihora remain in the red year round.
While councilors who profit from pollution are charged with governance of Ecan, the culture of the staff will reflect the councilors' values.
Your article is just one of many that have yet to achieve a change in values.
The situation in Canterbury is immensely frustrating. And I completely agree with you that focusing on the wrong measure of success (i.e. GDP) is at the core of our problems. The science tells us we've made a terrible job of managing our natural resources, but I think we're very much in denial as a country. I'm not particularly optimistic about my ability to change any of this, but I'm going to keep up the effort of helping people understand.
Terrific article, I really learned a lot! Here in Florida, US, we similarly struggle with “red tide” algal blooms, likely also caused by agricultural and industrial runoff into waterways. When they flare, the beaches will stink and millions of dead fish will wash up on shores, it’s truly an Old Testament kind of scene 😱 Apparently there’s a big split in the types of microbes that cause marine vs freshwater algal blooms: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/hazards/hab/#:~:text=Cyanobacteria%2C%20a%20type%20of%20photosynthetic,blue%20green%20and%20form%20scum. Both, however, remain thorny environmental problems 😕
Thanks Eric, I appreciate it. You're right, freshwater and marine blooms are caused by different types of microbes, mostly. One fascinating thing that Susie Wood mentioned is that some of the marine algae produce the same toxins as cyanobacteria even though they are not remotely related. I'm thinking that next New Zealand summer I might look into marine blooms.
That's what I was originally thinking too. But there are other theories - one that toxin-producing bacteria were absorbed into the algal cells (which is plausible because that's how plants acquired the ability to do photosynthesis) and the other something called horizontal gene transfer which bacteria routinely do but isn't well-understood in algae. Altogether mind-blowing stuff.
I've let this sink in over the week - I've got to admit, I open your newsletters with a mix of fear and anticipation - I love the learning, but at the same time, the extra knowledge makes me often feel (more) worried about our wonderful little planet! Really just wanted to say, keep up the amazing research - collective knowledge and understanding is the only way I can see us solving these problems. Cheers!
Thank you so much, your words really mean a lot to me. What I'm writing makes me worry too, but I'm trying to do some more solution-focused articles to balance things out.
Hi Melanie! Thank you very much for helping us to see the pain points caused by our activities and nature. I am developing sensors to detect toxins from HABs like the cyanobacterial blooms and I would love to have a chat with you and enquire about your experiences. Sorry to message you here but couldn't find any other way to reach you. I am Balam Jimenez :)
Hi Balam, I'm happy to chat with you. I'm interested in toxic algae in marine systems too, I'd love to do an article on it at some stage. I'll send you an email - I've found you online.
Melanie, this was really interesting, not least because it may explain what happens in our small creek each summer. At various times during the year, usually warmer months, it seems like the gravelly bottom gets coated in a light or dark brown thin mat of material. I had thought it could be some sort of bacteria tied to the cattle farm upstream, but I'd never considered the possibility of it being toxic. I'd like to do a little more research around this, especially whether it's just the mats that are toxic or also the water flowing over them - our dog drinks out of this stream!
Oddly, the stream forms from underground springs along its banks and the highest point from which it seeps is only about half a mile uphill, so this bloom has occurred in a very short distance.
Thanks Heather. It could be cyanobacteria or it could be true algae. Both can get abundant in high nutrient environments, and if there's a cattle farm upstream the nutrient level will be high. It's definitely worth figuring out what it is.
Canterbury is another region of NZ with both high levels of nitrate in its water and toxic Cyanobacteria in its lowland streams and lakes.
S 30 of the RMA 1991 requires the Environment Canterbury Regional Council (Ecan) to maintain and enhance the region's freshwater quality and quantity by regulating land use.
Ecan however gives priority to GDP.
Increased GDP in Canterbury has been achieved by the irrigation of vulnerable light porous soils to enable intensive dairy farming.
Nitrate leaching comes primarily from cow urine patches with further leaching from excess applications of nitrogen fertilizer.
The Ecan Act 2010 was passed under urgency with the aim of doubling GDP and as a consequence has made the region's freshwater some of the most polluted in the country.
Ecan councilors and staff appear more interested in growing this rather nebulous economic measure while refusing to consider the very real cost to environmental and public health.
The toxic algae warning signs at Te Waihora remain in the red year round.
While councilors who profit from pollution are charged with governance of Ecan, the culture of the staff will reflect the councilors' values.
Your article is just one of many that have yet to achieve a change in values.
The situation in Canterbury is immensely frustrating. And I completely agree with you that focusing on the wrong measure of success (i.e. GDP) is at the core of our problems. The science tells us we've made a terrible job of managing our natural resources, but I think we're very much in denial as a country. I'm not particularly optimistic about my ability to change any of this, but I'm going to keep up the effort of helping people understand.
Terrific article, I really learned a lot! Here in Florida, US, we similarly struggle with “red tide” algal blooms, likely also caused by agricultural and industrial runoff into waterways. When they flare, the beaches will stink and millions of dead fish will wash up on shores, it’s truly an Old Testament kind of scene 😱 Apparently there’s a big split in the types of microbes that cause marine vs freshwater algal blooms: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/hazards/hab/#:~:text=Cyanobacteria%2C%20a%20type%20of%20photosynthetic,blue%20green%20and%20form%20scum. Both, however, remain thorny environmental problems 😕
Thanks Eric, I appreciate it. You're right, freshwater and marine blooms are caused by different types of microbes, mostly. One fascinating thing that Susie Wood mentioned is that some of the marine algae produce the same toxins as cyanobacteria even though they are not remotely related. I'm thinking that next New Zealand summer I might look into marine blooms.
That’s very interesting! Great evidence of convergent evolution 🤓
That's what I was originally thinking too. But there are other theories - one that toxin-producing bacteria were absorbed into the algal cells (which is plausible because that's how plants acquired the ability to do photosynthesis) and the other something called horizontal gene transfer which bacteria routinely do but isn't well-understood in algae. Altogether mind-blowing stuff.
Very interesting piece! I didn't think about the lake versus river issue, but it is important.
Thanks. I found that point fascinating too.
I've let this sink in over the week - I've got to admit, I open your newsletters with a mix of fear and anticipation - I love the learning, but at the same time, the extra knowledge makes me often feel (more) worried about our wonderful little planet! Really just wanted to say, keep up the amazing research - collective knowledge and understanding is the only way I can see us solving these problems. Cheers!
Thank you so much, your words really mean a lot to me. What I'm writing makes me worry too, but I'm trying to do some more solution-focused articles to balance things out.
Hi Melanie! Thank you very much for helping us to see the pain points caused by our activities and nature. I am developing sensors to detect toxins from HABs like the cyanobacterial blooms and I would love to have a chat with you and enquire about your experiences. Sorry to message you here but couldn't find any other way to reach you. I am Balam Jimenez :)
Hi Balam, I'm happy to chat with you. I'm interested in toxic algae in marine systems too, I'd love to do an article on it at some stage. I'll send you an email - I've found you online.
Melanie, this was really interesting, not least because it may explain what happens in our small creek each summer. At various times during the year, usually warmer months, it seems like the gravelly bottom gets coated in a light or dark brown thin mat of material. I had thought it could be some sort of bacteria tied to the cattle farm upstream, but I'd never considered the possibility of it being toxic. I'd like to do a little more research around this, especially whether it's just the mats that are toxic or also the water flowing over them - our dog drinks out of this stream!
Oddly, the stream forms from underground springs along its banks and the highest point from which it seeps is only about half a mile uphill, so this bloom has occurred in a very short distance.
Thank you for another fascinating issue as usual!
Thanks Heather. It could be cyanobacteria or it could be true algae. Both can get abundant in high nutrient environments, and if there's a cattle farm upstream the nutrient level will be high. It's definitely worth figuring out what it is.