Lake Rotoiti, Bay of Plenty
Encyclopedia
Lake Rotoiti is a lake in the Bay of Plenty
region of New Zealand
. It is the northwesternmost in a chain of lakes formed within the Okataina
caldera
. The lake is close to the northern shore of its more famous neighbour, Lake Rotorua
, and is connected to it via the Ohau Channel. It drains to the Kaituna River
, which flows into the Bay of Plenty
near Maketu
. The name "Rotoiti" means "The little lake" in Māori
. The naming of the lake is credited to the Māori explorer Ihenga, who is also said to have discovered Lake Rotorua
. Legend says that the lake was named as such because when Ihenga first saw it, he was only able to see a small part of it and so thought the lake was a lot smaller.
In recent years, the quality of lake water has been severely affected by high nitrogen levels due to agricultural run-off from surrounding farms, seepage from domestic septic tanks and inflows of nitrogen rich water from Lake Rotorua. Effects have included an almost permanent algal bloom
in the Okere arm of the lake and choking lake weed growth in other still areas of the lake. Some hold fears that if the problem is not dealt with quickly, low levels of light (due to cloudy water) and oxygen deficiency in the lake may lead to its eventual eutrophication
(sometimes called biological death). A barrier to divert the nutrient rich waters of Lake Rotorua into the Kaituna River was completed in late 2008. The regional council Environment Bay of Plenty expects to see improvement in lake water quality within five years.
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...
region of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It is the northwesternmost in a chain of lakes formed within the Okataina
Lake Okataina
Lake Okataina is the northernmost and largest of four smaller lakes lying between Lake Rotorua and Lake Tarawera in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. The others are Lake Rotokakahi , Lake Tikitapu , and Lake Okareka...
caldera
Caldera
A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters...
. The lake is close to the northern shore of its more famous neighbour, Lake Rotorua
Lake Rotorua
Lake Rotorua is the second largest lake in the North Island of New Zealand by surface area, and covers 79.8km2. With a mean depth of only 10 metres it is considerably smaller than nearby Lake Tarawera in terms of volume of water. It is located in the Bay of Plenty region...
, and is connected to it via the Ohau Channel. It drains to the Kaituna River
Kaituna River
The Kaituna River is located in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the outflow from Lakes Rotorua and Rotoiti, and flows northwards for 45 kilometres, emptying into the Bay of Plenty near Te Puke...
, which flows into the Bay of Plenty
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...
near Maketu
Maketu
Maketu is a small town on the Bay of Plenty Coast in New Zealand. It is located on Okurei point and has an estuary from which the Kaituna River used to flow out of, it is also adjacent to Newdicks Beach located on the south eastern side of Okurei point. The name is sometimes informally abbreviated...
. The name "Rotoiti" means "The little lake" in Māori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
. The naming of the lake is credited to the Māori explorer Ihenga, who is also said to have discovered Lake Rotorua
Lake Rotorua
Lake Rotorua is the second largest lake in the North Island of New Zealand by surface area, and covers 79.8km2. With a mean depth of only 10 metres it is considerably smaller than nearby Lake Tarawera in terms of volume of water. It is located in the Bay of Plenty region...
. Legend says that the lake was named as such because when Ihenga first saw it, he was only able to see a small part of it and so thought the lake was a lot smaller.
In recent years, the quality of lake water has been severely affected by high nitrogen levels due to agricultural run-off from surrounding farms, seepage from domestic septic tanks and inflows of nitrogen rich water from Lake Rotorua. Effects have included an almost permanent algal bloom
Algal bloom
An algal bloom is a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in an aquatic system. Algal blooms may occur in freshwater as well as marine environments. Typically, only one or a small number of phytoplankton species are involved, and some blooms may be recognized by discoloration...
in the Okere arm of the lake and choking lake weed growth in other still areas of the lake. Some hold fears that if the problem is not dealt with quickly, low levels of light (due to cloudy water) and oxygen deficiency in the lake may lead to its eventual eutrophication
Eutrophication
Eutrophication or more precisely hypertrophication, is the movement of a body of water′s trophic status in the direction of increasing plant biomass, by the addition of artificial or natural substances, such as nitrates and phosphates, through fertilizers or sewage, to an aquatic system...
(sometimes called biological death). A barrier to divert the nutrient rich waters of Lake Rotorua into the Kaituna River was completed in late 2008. The regional council Environment Bay of Plenty expects to see improvement in lake water quality within five years.