Popular stop-off for motorists and a favourite for holidaymakers, Lake Tūtira, is no longer a safe swimming spot due to its poor water quality. Made with funding from NZ On Air.
Lake Tūtira - 40 kilometres north of Napier - used to be a popular swimming spot.
But some holidaymakers are learning the hard way - it's no longer safe.
Holidaymaker Leisa Patrick says her husband took their three boys swimming during their last camping trip there, " they all came out absolutely covered by Duck Itch, so now we don't let our boys go anywhere near the water and they know to stay away, they are too scared anyway".
The Patricks have been holidaying at Lake Tūtira for 20 years - but they're not going back.
"Two or three years ago we noticed that the water quality was changing...it was smelly, it was murky, it was foamy around the edges," Mrs Patrick says.
There are now signs at the Lake warning swimmers about wading in, some even say there could be toxic algal blooms - which can cause respiratory illness, and even paralysis.
Hawke's Bay Regional Council Principal Water Quality Scientist Dr Andrew Hicks says: "There's more nutrients in Tūtira lake than there would be naturally, there's no doubt about that."
"The modelling we've done suggests that the nutrient problems in the lake relate both to a legacy, so this is nutrient that has run off and accumulated and got stuck down the bottom of the lake and gets re circulated every year, and then there's also fresh inputs and we need to try to address both issues, because only focusing on one might not actually get us to where we need to go in terms of improving the water quality."
The agricultural pollution is an affront to the spiritual and cultural beliefs of local Māori.
Maungaharuru-Tangitū Trust General Manager Shane Walker says: "Tūtira has always been a not only a provision of subsistence for our physical wellbeing but for our spiritual wellbeing so its importance is huge."
"It's one of the jewels in our crown, one of the most important taonga that we have, so in terms of its water quality and how it's suffering at the moment and has been for a little while we're really keen to do what we can to improve that."
Recently, Hawke's Bay Regional Council started publishing the results of their recreational waterway testing online.
Of the 34 spots tested, Lake Tūtira is deemed unsuitable for swimming and seven others are cautioned.
Experts say extra caution is required after rain
Shane Gilmer, HBRC recreational water quality tester says: "Within three days after heavy rainfall we wouldn't recommend going to swim at any of the freshwater sites and also if it's been raining and you go to the river and you can't see your toes in knee-deep water we recommend to try and swim somewhere else for the day so, rule of toes."
Last June the Maungaharuru-Tangitū Trust secured $644,000 funding for a restoration project - Tūtira mai ngā iwi - the namesake of the famous waiata composed at the lakeside in 1960.
They plan to have made some headway by the end of the year.
