A mural made by Aramoho Wanganui Rowing Club members on Tuesday, while racing was paused on the Clive River. Photo / Warren Buckland
A mural made by Aramoho Wanganui Rowing Club members on Tuesday, while racing was paused on the Clive River. Photo / Warren Buckland
A rowing regatta on the Clive River was forced to pause racing around low tide largely because of weeds and tubeworms interfering with the course.
An organiser of the Hawke’s Bay Cup Regatta on Monday and Tuesday, which featured teams from around the country, says the regional council needs todredge the river to fix the problem and provide better rowing conditions.
The river has not been dredged for 12 years despite plans by the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council to dredge it every 10 years.
On Tuesday, one travelling club made a large mural out of weeds pulled from the river, as they killed time and waited for racing to resume.
Hawke’s Bay Rowing Club coach and regatta manager Ross Webb said most of the racing was being held when the water levels were higher.
Regatta manager Ross Webb with one of the pesky mounds made by tubeworms along the Clive River. Photo / Warren Buckland
“Low water does mean that we can’t offer a fair course.
“[The weed growth] happens more severely some years but it has been ongoing for a while and ... the river dredging would have cured the issue but the river dredging isn’t happening.
“Water sports can still happen but generally speaking on a half tide or better, rather than a half tide or lower.”
Aramoho Wanganui Rowing Club member Jessica Kuehne with baby eels she caught while waiting for racing to start. Photo / Warren Buckland
He said tubeworms were also a problem as they created mounds along the river, which can interfere with rowing.
“The tubeworm has been here for a wee while, for a number of years, predominantly under the bridge,” he said.
“Excavation looks to be the number one option [to get rid of it] but water temperature is also one of the critical factors we believe in removing it.”
Regional council asset management group manager Chris Dolley said the river was due to be dredged soon.
“We know how important this river is to tangata whenua, the community and water sports users including the rowing club and we are committed to upholding our community’s aspirations for a more sustainable dredging alternative,” he said.
“The regional council dredged the river 12 years ago and deposited the silt to the ocean.
Last year, the regional council withdrew a resource consent application to discharge Clive River sediment to the coast in response to community concerns about the effects it would have on the coastal environment and was now looking at discharging the sediment on land.
