Waioeka-Otara Rivers Scheme
The Waioeka-Otara Rivers Scheme is the smallest of our four Schemes, covering 1,175km2 that extends from the coast at Ōpōtiki up to the regional boundary with Gisborne.
The Scheme includes the Waioeka and Otara Rivers, which converge in Ōpōtiki.
Tony Dunlop, Waioeka-Otara Rivers Scheme Area Engineer, tells us more:
This scheme includes:
Bay of Plenty Regional Council owns and manages an array of flood protection and drainage defences across the rohe (such as stopbanks, floodgates, floodwalls etc).
As well as developing new or improved flood defences, our team undertake regular work to test, check, repair and maintain these defences.
We do this to make sure they are in good condition, so that when a flood event occurs, the flood defences will help manage the impacts to the community.
Latest rainfall and river levels
You can also access all rainfall and river level data through our Environmental Data Portal.
Scheme news and updates
Works on the Waioeka–Otara Rivers Scheme for the week 28 August to 1 September 2023.
Works on the Waioeka–Otara Rivers Scheme for the week 24 July to 28 July 2023.
More than 6000 native trees and shrubs were planted along the old Waiōtahi Valley Back Road on Friday, June 9 and Saturday, June 10, as part of an ongoing community effort to restore the area and improve the water quality of the Waiōtahe River.
With increased rainfall and weather events impacting the region, Bay of Plenty Regional Council is reminding landowners living near the region’s flood defences to refresh themselves of the rules.
UPDATE: Due changeable weather conditions, this work will now be carried out in the new year from January 18, 2023.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council is undertaking geotechnical investigation work at stopbanks around Ōpōtiki.
It’s been a busy year on the Waioeka and Otara Rivers Scheme.
We’re resuming our investigations around Ōpōtiki this week to check the condition of the stopbanks on the Waioeka River.
This essential monitoring will see contractors working on a number of mobile rigs and hand devices to find out the soil composition and stopbank stability.
It’s essential we undertake these investigations to ensure that our stopbanks will continue to help protect our communities from flooding in the coming decades.
The results will be used as part of determining if any upgrade or additional protection measures are needed.
Please remember to keep motorbikes off stopbanks to help us keep these important flood defences in good order.
If you see any damage please report it to us.
We’re doing some investigations around Ōpōtiki over the next few weeks to check the condition of the stopbanks on the Otara and Waioeka rivers.
We’ll be doing the tests at the 15 locations and thank you for your understanding as we undertake this essential monitoring to ensure that our stopbanks continue to help protect our communities from flooding.
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Your River Scheme Advisory Group
Flood protection is an ongoing conversation with the community, to help balance the social, cultural, economic and environmental impacts that flood protection presents.
To help achieve this, we established River Advisory Groups, which are made up of local people from along the river with different interest and involvements in the future of the awa. These locals are here to represent your needs and wants for the awa, which helps advise our teams when it comes to flood projects, maintenance and management.
Find out more the Waioeka-Otara Rivers Scheme Advisory Group.
