Lake Pupuke a victim of its growing popularity

By WAYNE THOMPSON

Lake Pupuke is threatened by its own popularity - with picnickers, paddlers, rowers, yachties, divers and wildfowl.

A plan to keep the North Shore's deep crater lake healthy and to prevent conflicts and crowds was presented to the Takapuna Community Board last night.

The public have two months to comment on the draft plan prepared by the North Shore City Council.

Council parks chairman Margaret Miles said Lake Pupuke, which covers 107ha with a shoreline of 4.3km, had seen a big increase in use over the past decade.

"It provides a unique environment for recreation and its waters have been the training ground for many of our top sportsmen and women."

The lake, surrounding parks and the Quarry Lake Reserve are popular for weddings, picnics, walks, fishing and sailing model yachts.

But shore space is also in demand for storing and launching watercraft, from rowing skiffs and outrigger canoes to windsurfers.

The plan says water quality has been stable over the last decade and is generally better than it was in the 1970s and 1980s. But the presence of more people could affect quality.

Boat ramps are inadequate but more should not be provided without a careful assessment of effects.

The council says floating rafts of weed - thick enough to trap sailboarders - can be controlled by hand-harvesting.

The Auckland Regional Council is monitoring the menace of blue-green algae blooms, which last summer were confined to the Quarry Lake.

Increasing numbers of geese and black swan are soiling reserves and raising public health concerns about faecal bacteria in the water.

The council says it will restrict the number, size and type of events held around the lake.

The lake bed is owned by the Crown and the waters and bed are managed by the ARC. The North Shore council manages activities on the lake and reserves.