The removal of an old collapsed retaining wall at Lake Karāpiro last month revealed tyres full of golden clams.
What the clams look like
A landscaping and construction company was to replace the wall with a new sandbag wall during the lake’s annual lowering.
Workers contacted Biosecurity NZ for advice when they found the clams and the government agency gave permission for the tyres to be moved off site to dry before recycled.
The tyres had to be cleaned on site first with silt removed and the trucks used to transport the tyres lined to prevent water leakage while enroute to the depot.
Community groups with wash stations allocated by Biosecurity New Zealand made them available to wash the tyres before they were loaded onto a truck for removal.
The Lake Karāpiro Check Clean Dry team have had a busy start supporting the North Island and national masters rowing events.
Janette Douglas.
Leading the team this season is Janette Douglas of Cambridge.
“I look forward to leading the on-the-ground work to support what Biosecurity New Zealand does at the national level, over the coming season.
“For me, it’s just as important that our lake users understand the ‘why’ as the ‘how’ of the Check Clean Dry message.”
The gold clams are prolific breeders – up to 400 every day. They were found at the Bob’s Landing area of the Waikato River near Lake Karāpiro in early May 2023 and identified as corbicula fluminea.
Since then, clams have been confirmed in the river from Lake Maraetai Landing to Tūākau.
Niwa will be funded $10.2 million over five years to improve understanding of Corbicula fluminea. The aim is to come up with solutions to control the clams.
Cleaning equipment lent by community groups was used to clean tyres infested with golden clams. Photo: Supplied.
