"During April we saw unprecedented lake levels across in the Rotorua district and we needed to keep the gates fully open to keep up with the rainwater flowing into Rotoiti. It has taken until well into June to finally see lake levels return to normal," Mr O'Rourke said.
The previously high lake levels caused some erosion issues on properties with lake frontages and the high flows in the Ohau Channel saw some inundation of surrounding properties.
But not all lakes in the Rotorua district are returning to normal levels.
Some lakes are still extremely high including Rerewhakaaitu and Okareka, and there are still significant issues with lake edge erosion.
The regional council is aware of the issue but say there is little to be done to speed up natural lake lowering.
"Our latest two-week weather outlook is promising, with little rain forecast keeping Kaituna flows and lake levels down for longer. We'll continue to monitor lake levels and keep river users updated," Mr O'Rourke said.
The Okere Gates and Ohau Weir are man-made structures to help control water levels in lakes. The gates were constructed in 1982 to regulate the flow of water from Lake Rotoiti into the Kaituna River. The Ohau Weir was constructed in 1989 to control water level fluctuations in Lake Rotorua.
