Eels died at Pukepuke Lagoon after a period of dry weather.
Photo: LDR / Supplied / Rangitāne o Manawatū Settlement Trust
More than a month after eels and fish died when a coastal Manawatū lake dried out, the cause is yet to be revealed.
Thousands of eels were rescued from Pukepuke Lagoon by local iwi in early April, when regional council staff discovered the water had gone, after a period of dry weather.
This week, Department of Conservation operations manager Moana Smith-Dunlop said it was working with iwi to finalise the scope and timeframe of an investigation.
“The cause of the drying event is unknown,” she said. “We are concerned and committed to developing a clearer understanding of what is driving water levels and the lagoon’s role within the wider coastal water systems.”
Pukepuke Lagoon covers about 15 hectares on conservation land between Himatangi and Tangimoana.
Smith-Dunlop said no estimate was available on the number of eel deaths and it was now thought about 1500-2000 were rescued. The survival rate wasn’t known.
A dead fish in the lagoon (File photo)
Photo: RNZ/Jimmy Ellingham
Meanwhile, the lake was filling again.
“DOC rangers monitored water levels following the discovery,” she said. “Approximately a week after the incident, there was a good amount of rainfall, which helped raise the water level in the lagoon.”
An Horizons Regional Council spokesperson said the water level of the lake was now about 500mm.
When the drying was discovered, dozens of local iwi volunteers joined rescue efforts at the lake, as eels were relocated to nearby waterways.
Many dead eels and fish were on the lake bed.
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