Why no-one’s swimming at Little Waipā Reserve

Monday, 23 February 2026

Little Waipā Reserve is an idyllic spot at the southern end of Lake Karāpiro. When visited on Sunday, people were fishing and paddle-boarding but no one was swimming.

Little Waipā Reserve is an idyllic spot at the southern end of Lake Karāpiro but look a little closer and you’ll find it’s not the place to take a refreshing dip in the Waikato River.

The Waikato Times visited the popular campsite on Sunday to find out what campers thought of the water quality, and if reports of toxic algae in the river’s hydro lakes was putting them off.

Those spoken to were almost unanimous in saying they would love to have a swim, but the health risks from algae, and large amounts of lake weed, were keeping them on dry land.

Pauline and Dennis Goodwin from Waihi said they loved the Waikato’s many free camping spots, and while Pauline said she’d swim almost anywhere, husband Dennis was not putting his head underwater.

Over the past weeks, the Waikato Times has been highlighting the worsening condition of the Waikato River and its hydro lakes.

In Mangakino, business were struggling to stay afloat as campers were finding other places to spend their time and money as toxic algal blooms on Lake Maraetai had been getting bigger and lasting longer.

Auckland-based company Hydro Synergy says it’s got a solution to algal blooms - by blasting them with high frequency sound waves - but getting them into the river’s hydro lakes is by no means a done deal.

Morrinsville’s Maisie Macdonald is a regular at Little Waipā Reserve but hasn’t swum there for years, mainly due to the increasing amounts of lakeweed.

Waihi residents Dennis and Pauline Goodwin had come over from the coast for quiet weekend.

Pauline said she’d swim “just about anywhere” and had been for a dip, but there was no way husband Dennis would take the plunge.

“We stopped and had lunch at Lake Maraetai yesterday, and it was quite yucky there but there's a lot of power boats out there too, and they chop up all the weed on the surface,” he said.

Dennis Goodwin said money spent on new facilities at Lake Maraetai, such as the pontoon for children, was well spent but water clarity left a lot to be desired.

LIttle Waipā Reserve is a free camping ground on Lake Karāpiro. People fish and enjoy the water but aren't so keen on swimming.

“I used to dive in everywhere, but not now. I won’t put my head underwater.

“But it's still a beautiful place - I've always loved the Waikato.”

Morrinsville’s Maisie Macdonald was enjoying some sun and watching her husband fishing (not catching).

She said she’s been to Little Waipā Reserve about a dozen times over the past few years, and while she used to take the occasional dip, has decided it’s not worth the risk.

Her biggest problem was “all the weed, which is definitely getting worse”.

“When I first moved here I used to go swimming but it's always been pretty bad.

“We usually go to Horahora Domain where it’s a little bit better.

“But it’s just kind of gross swimming in weed. I feel like this whole area is more for boats and paddle boards.”

Macdonald said she was aware of toxic algae, and had paddled through it in the past, “but yes, the water quality could be a lot better”.

Fred Cooper and his dog Bono were also parked up at the reserve on Sunday, but Cooper said his dog had been sick after drinking from the river recently, and there was “no way” he’d be swimming.

“The water quality is better here this year, but two summers ago it was absolutely terrible, and thick with rotting weed and algal blooms.

“It would have been quite dangerous to get in there, it was hard enough paddling through it in my little boat.

“I would not eat any of the fish that came out of it either,” Cooper said.