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The Waituna Lagoon is on the southern coastline of the
South Island
The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...
of
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
. It forms part of the
Awarua Wetland
The Awarua Wetland is a peatland area of in the Southland Region of New Zealand. The site, which was initially an area of about , was designated as having international significance under the Ramsar Convention in 1976, using the name Waituna Wetl ...
, a
Ramsar site
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
**
waituna
A waituna is a freshwater coastal lagoon on a mixed sand and gravel (MSG) beach, formed where a braided river meets a coastline affected by longshore drift. This type of waterbody is neither a true lake, lagoon nor estuary.
This classification di ...
, a type of
ephemeral
Ephemerality (from the Greek word , meaning 'lasting only one day') is the concept of things being transitory, existing only briefly. Academically, the term ephemeral constitutionally describes a diverse assortment of things and experiences, fr ...
coastal lake.
The lagoon is an important habitat for resident and migratory birds with seventy three different species being recorded. The expansion in the area of '' Leptocarpus'' rushes that has been observed over a 47-year period in the lagoon have been attributed to artificial openings of the lagoon to the sea, and the increase in sedimentation.
The lagoon is largely unmodified by human activity but there are elevated nutrient levels and sedimentation with a fear that it may lead to
eutrophication
Eutrophication is the process by which an entire body of water, or parts of it, becomes progressively enriched with minerals and nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus. It has also been defined as "nutrient-induced increase in phytopla ...
.
Recreational use
Waituna Lagoon is a common fishing and game bird hunting spot. There is a good supply of brown trout in the lake/lagoon and its tributaries with a daily limit of two trout per person per day.
The fishing season runs from 1 October until 30 April.
There is a good range of game bird species, with mallard ducks being the primarily hunted species. Other game bird species hunted during the season include the shoveler/spoonbill, Canada geese (now classified as a pest species), paradise ducks and the black swan (not often targeted by hunters).
Many families traditionally hunt the lake, such as the Carleen, Hourston, Lawson, McNaughton,Archived a Ghostarchive and th Wayback Machine Perriam, Thomas, Owen, Carston and Waghorn families who either have camps or live in the area.
See also
*
Coastline of New Zealand
New Zealand has of coastline making it the 9th longest in the world. The coastline borders the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The northern and southernmost points of the coastline on the two main islands are Surville Cliffs and Slope Point r ...