Farm dam
Gisborne District Council's Tairawhiti Resource Management Plan (TRMP) includes rules for building a farm dam.
Dams are important on farms for storing water. The Plan allows you to build a new dam without a resource consent if the:
- dam is in an intermittent or temporary stream, or a dry gully.
- water depth is less than 3 metres.
- amount of water held by the dam is less than 20, 000m3.
- catchment area above the dam is less than 5 hectares.
If you can't meet all these requirements - then you'll need to apply for a resource consent.
Good practice
Make sure the dam is well designed – get the design checked by a technical expert.
- Include a spillway to allow for floods and overflows.
- Don’t contaminate the water with chemicals or loose dirt during construction.
- Regularly inspect the dam and carry out regular maintenance.
Factsheet
Download building a farm dam [PDF, 2.5 MB]