Farmers see sunny side of snowfalls down south

Canterbury's groundwater levels have received a much-needed boost thanks to last week's unseasonal dumping of snow.

The moisture has slightly lessened the fire risk and is expected to put off irrigation demands for a couple of weeks before the countryside dries up again.

Institute of Geological and Nuclear Science hydrologist Paul White said the snow had benefited wells, irrigators and coastal spring-fed streams.

Mr White said most of the snow and rain that fell in last week's polar blast would have found its way into the groundwater system because it was too cold for any evaporation.

Usually there was no groundwater recharge during the summer months and Canterbury had missed out during the winter, so anything that gave the system a boost would help buffer any longer-term effects.

Mr White said little monitoring had been done since the cold snap and it was a matter of "watching and waiting" to see how much wells had benefited.

Oxford dairy farmer Grant Evans said the rain and snow had brought welcome moisture and nitrogen to Canterbury's parched landscape, boosting pasture growth and giving farmers one to two weeks' grace from turning on irrigators.

Thanks to good forecasting, farmers were well prepared for the cold snap and when it hit there was not too much damage.

"It was a good damping down, which is what was needed," Mr Evans said.

The race operations manager for Waimakariri Irrigation, Phil Reid, said demand for irrigation dropped immediately when it snowed and rained.

However, the precipitation was only enough to hold off demand for a couple of weeks.

Waimakariri principal fire officer Tim Sheppard said the snow had helped to dampen Canterbury's fire risk but he warned that drought codes were still high.

Good falls were needed in the next few months.

- NZPA