The Hawke's Bay Regional Council is preparing to fine those from the Tukituki catchment who have not organised a Farm Environmental Management Plan (FEMP) by June 29.
The council has required properties of 4 hectares and over to show evidence of a FEMP or be in the line of fire for enforcement action under the Tukituki Plan (Plan Change 6).
Of the 1229 properties that need a FEMP, 253 land owners were yet to get one.
"Unfortunately, we will need to move to enforcement action or prosecution proceedings for those who don't act," said regulation manager Liz Lambert.
"We're not trying to ping people, we want them to do what is required but at the same time we won't let that situation go on forever."
Lambert said those who didn't comply would need resource consent to continue operating but that a FEMP would be the first requirement to get consent.
The council hit its first regulation deadline on May 31 but had it extended to accommodate independent service providers working through the large number.
"We've allowed a period of grace because we know that there are a number of people that have them in with their providers but the providers haven't physically been able to finish them."
Lambert said a plan included general mapping of the property and looked at physical activities like fencing off waterways.
She said the plan was for water quality management purposes and to measure the nitrogen and phosphorus that came off the land.
Lambert said the FEMP for a smaller property would be less complicated.
"It really depends on what they do on their 4 hectares. If you're between 4 and 10 hectares we would called that low intensity because the nutrients off that property are not significant," she said.
"In the case of an orchard, it's not the same as a dairy farm where you've got nitrogen coming from cows and you've got effluent being spread over the land as well."
Lambert said an audit of all plans would finish in 2020 and would inform action to be taken in the following year.
"By 2021, the water quality has to be at a certain nitrogen limit and where they don't, activities in that catchment will have to be dialled back to ensure that the nitrogen leaching is lessening."