A decision on a low flow for the Waipahi River in South Otago could be a disaster and totally against Fish and Game Otago's clients' interests, its chairman, John Barlow, says.
A report on an application by the Clutha District Council on behalf of the Waipahi rural community to take water from the river was considered by the council last week.
Fish and Game environmental officer John Hollows said while the majority of the proposed take was for stock water, there was an undisclosed amount for dairy shed and other uses.
The council had presented evidence at the hearing asking for a minimum flow of 584 litres per second and the Otago Regional Council for 330 litres per second.
Fish and Game's suggested level would mean stock water would be unavailable for, on average, only six days in a one-in-50 year low-flow event, he said.
In that situation, a farmer should have enough stored stock water.
At the meeting, Mr Hollows said the regional council hearing panel's decision on the application had just arrived with a recommendation of a 200-litre per second low flow, but he had not had time to analyse the decision.
Cr Donald Scott said the Waipahi was a high status brown trout, fly fishery.
If future global warming caused flows to reduce and temperatures to increase, conditions could be very bad for trout.
Cr Monty Wright said the river had deteriorated in the past two years and the "fishing had gone backwards".
Mr Barlow said given the importance of the river, it should be one of the council's "bottom lines" and he did not want to see the flow drop below a proposed national standard.
"With the huge demands and other risks, we can't go along with that. It's totally against our clients' interests."
Fish and Game chief executive Niall Watson said the council could appeal the decision if it thought it was too low.
It had until December 11 to make an appeal.
Councillors agreed to hold a teleconference on December 8 to consider a staff report on what further action to take.
