The Otago Regional Council's first farms, wetlands and forestry flyovers this winter season have identified about 12 per cent of farms photographed had issues, which were followed up by a site visit to discuss winter grazing practices.
The council's principal compliance specialist, Mike Cummings, said observations from the first round of flyovers were "really positive".
"There were lots of good examples of grazing practices including buffer zones, and signs of strategic grazing plans," Cummings said.
The review of the aerial photos focused on the potential for issues to arise during the winter grazing season.
Staff considered the current rules, history of issues on the site and other risk factors which may be relevant for the catchment.