Chief executive Niall Watson said he could live with the 900 litre minimum set by the Otago Regional Council, despite seeking a 1000-litre-per-second minimum flow.
Irrigators were still allocated more than half the summer flow and a cap on water used in irrigation was set at 1200 litres, not the 1000 litres which Fish and Game had proposed, so the decision was a hefty compromise, Mr Watson said.
A century characterised by a dry river bed in summer and mass fish mortalities would now end, Mr Watson said.
He did not think this decision would set a precedent for other regional council water plan changes, namely plan changes B and C, which affected the Manuherikia and Cardrona Rivers.
"If you look at minimum flows in Southland and West Otago on the Waiau and Pomahaka, those rivers had a flow set at 80 to 90% of their annual low flow compared to the Lindis, which is set at just below 50%."
Until the regional council’s water plan changes there had been little regard for the environment when it came to rivers, he said.
He understood the difficult situation some farmers would find themselves in because of the minimum flow, but they had 30 years to plan for alternatives to the their current irrigation scheme, Mr Watson said.
"The mining privilege regime can’t just be rolled over and comply with today’s laws."
At a meeting of the Lindis Irrigation Company last month, farmers agreed to appeal the regional council’s decision.
Fish and Game would provide evidence at any appeal process, Mr Watson said.
Lindis Irrigation Company committee member Bruce Jolly said the group was talking to lawyers and was yet to lodge an official appeal.
