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Story: Water quality

Lake Taupō catchment

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Lake Taupō catchment

The Lake Taupō catchment contains about 19% of farmland, which is considered to be the main source of the nitrates contaminating the lake water. Government agencies and landowners have planned a reduction of 20% in the 2003 nitrate level by 2022.

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How to cite this page

Mike Scarsbrook and Kit Rutherford, Water quality – Lakes Rotorua and Taupō, and the Manawatū River, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/map/15533/lake-taupo-catchment (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Mike Scarsbrook and Kit Rutherford, published 1 March 2009, updated 18 July 2016.