Council Opens Lagoon to Ease Pressure | Auckland News

Auckland News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Sep 3, 2026 · 1m

Southland’s regional council is taking emergency action to drain the overflowing Waituna Lagoon—sitting at 2.3 meters for five days—by carving a channel through its gravel bar to relieve pressure on nearby farms and roads, all while avoiding ecological harm as warmer weather approaches. This risky, nature-dependent fix can’t be sealed mechanically; it relies on wind and tide to naturally re-close the breach. The Awarua-Waituna Wetlands, a globally recognized ecosystem plagued by past algal blooms and poor water quality, has already seen this intervention twice this year. Council hopes this…