Lake Waikare
Lake Waikare is the largest of several shallow lakes in the upper floodplain of the Waikato River in New Zealand's North Island. It is a riverine lake, located to the east of Te Kauwhata and 40 kilometres north of Hamilton. It covers 34 km².
Due to its shallow nature and the heavy use of fertiliser in the surrounding farming district, the waters of the lake are in poor condition. A 2010 report showed that of all the measured lakes it had the highest trophic level index, a measurement of the amount of pollutants. Pollution also comes from Te Kauwhata sewage works, which is subject to a Regional Council abatement notice for excessive discharges of Kjeldahl Nitrogen, Total Nitrogen, Total Phosphorus and E.coli.
