From Auckland Council Report Environmental condition and values of Manukau Harbour 2009 - This is why we MUST have the October 2014 REVIEW of the state of the Manukau Harbour, write letters to the local papers, local boards, Len Browns FB page etc if you want to live on a clean & healthy harbour...................... .................High nutrient levels degrade water quality and promote nuisance algal growth, while gross pollutants affect the aesthetic values in the coastal environment. The effects of stormwater in the coastal environment vary depending on: 1. the quantity and quality of the stormwater discharge(s); 2. the physical, chemical and ecological characteristics of the receiving environment; and, 3. human amenity, aesthetic and cultural values. The purpose of this report is to review available information on item (2) above for Manukau Harbour. Integrated catchment management plans (ICMPs) being prepared by Waitakere, Auckland and Manukau City Councils, and Papakura and Franklin District Councils are required to identify the best practicable option (BPO) for managing stormwater contaminants discharged into the harbour. Among other things, the BPO must have regard to the nature of the discharges and the sensitivity of the receiving environment. An understanding of the environmental characteristics and values of the receiving environments is therefore needed before an assessment of sensitivity can be carried out. .....The effects of stormwater discharges should take into account the environmental values and quality of the immediate receiving environment, and the potential for cumulative, broad scale impacts. Broad scale impacts could occur through the widespread dispersal of sediment and stormwater contaminants, or by degrading receiving environments that have an ecological role, which extends beyond the area directly affected by stormwater discharges. Examples of the latter include receiving environments that provide habitat for rare or migratory bird species, or nursery habitat for juvenile fish...........................Available data clearly shows that ecological communities, and environmental characteristics and quality vary widely around Manukau Harbour, and that spatially discrete habitats are linked, to varying degrees, through passive dispersal and biologically active processes. The effects of stormwater discharges should therefore take into account the environmental values and quality of the immediate receiving environment, and the potential for cumulative, broader scale impacts. Broad scale impacts could occur through the widespread dispersal of sediment and stormwater contaminants, or by degrading localised receiving environments that have especially important ecological roles. The latter includes areas of importance for rare or migratory species (e.g. birds), and areas of importance to particular life stages (e.g. juvenile fish). bit.ly/Xl80hw
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 02:59:56 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015