Allocation and Irrigation
Some catchments are fully allocated, while in others the only water available are high flows that need to be stored to be of use under late summer conditions.
In certain catchments all surface flows dry up over summer and groundwater represents the only viable source of water. In these areas it is essential to irrigate crops over summer to supplement the low rainfall and offset the naturally high evapotranspiration rate.
Even in the relatively high rainfall Marlborough Sounds catchments, there is an increasing trend towards irrigation of dairy pasture.
The photograph shows a travelling type pasture irrigator in the Wairau Valley.
For further information on the process of applying for a water permit to take and use water for irrigation, see the resource consents page.
For more information about how Marlborough compares nationally with water allocation, see the Ministry for the Environment website.
