ECan approaches to managing ECan approaches to managing nutrient losses to groundwaternutrient losses to groundwater

Proposed Natural Resources Regional PlanProposed Natural Resources Regional Plan

• Land & water chapters notified – July 2004

• 3 objectives – numerical water quality outcomes– Groundwater:

• Maintain high quality groundwater

• < 2mg/L N above max. conc. measured between 1996 & 2001 & not exceed 11.3 N mg/L

– Community water sources: < 5.6 N mg/L

• A mix of methods – Regulation

– Education

– Investigations

RegulationRegulation

• under the RMA – a hierarchy of controls through regional rules

Permitted

Controlled Discretionary Non- Prohibited

 

RegulationRegulation• Regional rules

– more stringent conditions, e.g.

• discharge animal effluent to land • domestic wastewater systems • construction of bores

– more activities covered by rules. e.g.

• feed pads • effluent storage ponds • reticulated sewerage networks

– apply to new activities commencing after date of plan notification

• Review of existing resource consents– land discharges from processing plants

Threshold 2

Threshold 1

Best management practices required

No action required

Reduction in nitrate leaching required

Nutrient budget mandatory

Nitrate leaching concentration in

soil drainage

water (mgL-1 NO3-N)

16  

8

0

A new approach – controls on the use of land that may result in the discharge of nitrate into gw

Nitrate leaching rule cont. Nitrate leaching rule cont.

• Landowner takes responsibility for managing nitrate leaching

• Estimate average annual N03 loss below rooting zone for the property

• Requires a nutrient management model

• Comes into effect when plan is operative

Plan implementation issues Plan implementation issues – nitrate leaching rule– nitrate leaching rule

• Promote the new rule – information on best management practices

– workshops, e.g. farm advisors, farming groups

• Compliance monitoring – which areas or land uses, and how often? – improving staff skills & knowledge

• Nutrient management models – plan does not prescribe a specific model – ECan contributing to the development of a nutrient

model for arable farming

Education and advocacyEducation and advocacy

• Promote best management practices

– Pasture management

– Timing of cultivation

– Nitrification inhibitors

– Adoption of codes of practice

– Whole-farm nutrient management systems

• Work with landowners to improve groundwater quality