Rule 26 Small dams

The placement and use [, including any associated;

• disturbance of any river bed; or
• deposition on the river bed; or
• temporary diversion;

of any dam that is fixed in, on, or under the bed of any intermittently flowing river or stream which;

(1) impounds not more than 10,000 m ³ of water; and

(2) has a catchment area of not more than 20 ha; and

(3) does not alter the natural course of the stream, including any diversion of water from the natural course during floods; and

(4) is located more than 50 metres from a property boundary; and

(5) meets any requirements under the Freshwater Fisheries Regulations 1983 and the Building Act 1991;

is a permitted activity provided it complies with the conditions specified below.

Conditions

(1)The water at the base of the dam wall on the upstream side of the dam shall be no greater than 3 metres deep.

(2) No contaminants (including but not limited to oil, petrol, diesel, paint, or solvent) shall be released to water from equipment being used for the construction of the dam, and no refuelling of equipment shall take place on any area of river or lake bed.

(3) All material used during construction of the dam but not part of the dam shall be removed from the river, or lake bed formed by the dam, and disposed of in an appropriate manner.

(4) All reasonable steps shall be taken to minimise the release of sediment to water during construction.

(5) A spillway or overflow pipe, which prevents the dam from overtopping, connects or discharges to the downstream watercourse.

In Rule 26, the words in square brackets were inserted by Decisions on Plan change 1 to the Regional Freshwater Plan December 2002