An important message for all visitors to the Lake Taupō region - help us protect our precious lake

Now that we’ve got your attention, we have to have a bit of a serious talk about something. Relax! We’re not breaking up with you, it’s nothing like that. We just need your help to protect our wai (waters). 

See, there are these pesky little things called ‘exotic freshwater clams’ that have made their way into the Waikato River and at this very moment, they are pretty much knocking on Lake Taupō’s door. And we can assure you there’s no way we want to let them in, not now and not ever. It’s time to lock up and throw away the key. 

You’ve got the power! 

These little clams love to travel (don’t we all?). But while the fully grown exotic freshwater clams can be easy enough to spot - if you know what you’re looking for - it’s the tiny, microscopic ones that probably pose the highest risk. 

The larvae and juveniles can attach themselves to anything that goes in the water, like swimwear, paddleboards, kids toys, other water gear and even dogs! And that bad news is you won’t even know you’ve got this hitchhiker along for the ride. Which, if you ask us, is terrible hitchhiking etiquette.  

So there are a few things we’re asking of visitors to Taupō:

AWARENESS: Be mindful that these exotic freshwater clams are an extreme biosecurity risk and are being taken very seriously. Keep up-to-date with places, including lakes and rivers, that they have been located, and remain vigilant if you do happen to go to those areas.

CLEAN YOUR GEAR & WHAT YOU WEAR: If you go in the water in any freshwater locations (particularly the Waikato River), please follow the directions to ‘Check, Clean and Dry’ BEFORE entering the water in the Lake Taupō region. This is as follows: 

1. Check

Remove water, visible matter, plant material and mud from your gear, clothes, boat and even dog! Drain all river or lake water.

2. Clean

• Wash down your gear, vehicle, watercraft, and trailer that has been in contact with river or lake water with tap water onto grass, on the grass or at home - not near or into a drain system. This will remove any remaining invisible material.
• For absorbent materials that have been in contact with river or lake water use an appropriate treatment in the treatment options table on this page. 
• Treat residual water that always occurs when on-board ballast bladders or tanks have been pumped.

 3. Dry

• Allow gear to dry to touch, inside and out (including hard to reach spots), then leave it to dry, for at least 48 hours (2 days) before using again. 
• Dry areas inside the watercraft where water has pooled, for example with an old towel, and then leave the craft to dry for at least 48 hours (2 days). The hull of a watercraft will dry when towed.

These clams have proven rather difficult to remove from both equipment and materials, so it is important to understand about the two day drying process, or other treatment options if you have absorbent materials. The bigger the clam, the longer they can survive out of the water and resist chemical and temperature treatments.      

What are ‘exotic freshwater clams’? 

Exotic freshwater clams are clams which have arrived in New Zealand from overseas. In 2023, a species of these were found in a stretch of the Waikato River, and early in 2024 another slightly different species were discovered in a man-made lagoon near Taupō in 2024. Researchers are still unsure how they got here, but it seems they’ve been spreading themselves all around the world.  

The Waikato River is New Zealand’s longest river - stretching all the way from the central North Island and Lake Taupō, to the Tasman Sea just south of Auckland. Along its 425km journey northwest it feeds into many lakes and rivers, which means there’s huge potential for the spread of these exotic clams. 

And right now, one of the greatest concerns is its connection to a significant waterway of ours, the lake.   

So, what’s so bad about them? 

While we LOVE people visiting from overseas, we’re not so keen on these clams. And there’s two reasons for that. 

1. We’re really worried about their potential for negatively impacting our natural ecosystem. They could take over large areas of our pristine lake and river environments and ruin protected ecological habitats, while competing with native species for food and space. 
2. They are extremely fast breeders, so in ideal conditions they can reach excessively high numbers in a short space of time. This can clog water-based infrastructure, such as electricity generation plants, irrigation systems and water treatment plants. In other words - they can cause absolute carnage. 

We have seen the effects of these clammy critters in places all over the world (where they have proven difficult to control), and we’re desperate to not have them destroy this beautiful place we call home. 

So basically, all the stops are being pulled out to make sure they don’t turn up uninvited in our precious moana (expanse of water). And that’s where you come in.  

We get it at the end of the day we know you just want to have a relaxing holiday in our beautiful region. And we certainly don’t want to get in the way of that. We just want to ask:

“Are you up for the wero (challenge) to be a kaitiaki (guardian) of our environment?” 

We can do this together! 

Let’s ensure many future generations get to enjoy our special heart of the world, by considering how we move, play and stay within the Taupō region.