Water quality at the popular Loch Laird below Benmore dam has improved, after being ranked earlier this month by Environment Canterbury as "poor" for swimming.
That ranking for the man-made water-skiing and swimming area meant it was "generally not suitable for swimming based on historical results".
Tests by Environment Canterbury (ECan) since the ranking was first released earlier this month have shown water quality has improved and there were very low levels of bacteria close to shore.
However, the "poor" ranking would remain because it was based on long-term tests.
ECan water scientist Michele Stevenson said the improvement had resulted from discussions with the Waitaki District Council and adjacent landowners who had agreed not to graze areas surrounding Loch Laird during the summer.
It was hoped that would lead to a long-term improvement in water quality, which had tended to deteriorate after heavy rain washed contamination from the surrounding area.
The rankings of 100 coastal, river and lake swimming areas throughout the Canterbury region are posted on ECan's website.
In the Waitaki Valley, the only other picnic area to receive a less than satisfactory ranking for swimming was Lake Benmore at Glenburn on the Ahuriri arm, which was also "poor".
