The impact on recreation of a new power scheme on the Waitaki River worries an Oamaru man who has used the river for more than 50 years and describes some attributes as "unique" and "rare".
Architectural designer Bruce Parker fishes, boats, hunts, swims, whitebaits and camps on the river.
Yesterday, he told the Environment Court recreation between the Waitaki dam and Stonewall would be "fundamentally altered" if Meridian Energy Ltd built its north bank tunnel concept scheme there, reducing the flow of the river to monthly minimums of between 110cumecs and 150cumecs.
The "big river" experience, which made the river a "wilderness recreational area" would be lost between the dam and Stonewall, he said.
That experience was more than just flow, it was the complete environment its width, landscape, sky and sound of water: "Everything around you gives that feel."
It allowed "hardcore users" like him to share without conflict.
"Conflict is likely to increase, both between users of a particular resource (for example, salmon fishing lies) and between different users such as salmon fishermen and jet-boaters," he said.
Cross-examined by Meridian counsel Jo Appleyard, Mr Parker acknowledged one benefit of the scheme could be vegetation clearance which would improve access.
But, he said, that was also negative, because it would increase "people pressure" which would spoil it for some existing users.
The river had excellent stocks of brown and rainbow trout and chinook salmon, setting it apart from all other rivers in New Zealand.
However, the current state of the salmon fishery was the most immediate concern of salmon anglers.
The portion affected by the power scheme sustained an average 75% of all spawning in the river.
Mr Parker said a 2007 survey of salmon anglers showed 95% preferred a river flows of more than 200cumecs, disputing Meridian evidence that the best flow was between 130cumecs and 200cumecs and the best single flow 150cumecs.
In terms of trout, Mr Parker said the combination of water types and range of fish types were the river's greatest asset.
He feared didymo would increase between the dam and Stonewall and Meridian's proposed 450cumecs flushing flows up to seven times a year would not alleviate that.
Day 7
• The Meridian Energy north bank tunnel concept power scheme costing up to $993 million is to take up to 260cumecs of water from Lake Waitaki into a 34km tunnel between the Waitaki dam and Stonewall with one powerhouse.
• Ecan granted four water-only resource consents for the scheme and five appeals were filed.
• Evidence yesterday: Effect on wetlands, river engineering, Lower Waitaki River Management Society opens case with recreational effects, Waitaha's concerns,
