Impact of deer farming on water quality and stream health – Criffel Station

Increased awareness of the environmental implications of meat derived diets from both domestic and international consumers, has resulted in increased critical scrutiny on the true environmental footprint of pastoral agriculture. There is a paucity of information on the quantified environmental impact of deer farming in the hill- and high-country landscape. To enable the deer industry to attain and demonstrate positive environmental credentials it is necessary to quantify the current impact of deer farming in the hill- and high-country landscapes on water quality and stream health parameters. A research program was initiated to provide a 5-year baseline of water quality and stream health parameters from ten farms including Criffel Station, a hill- and high-country deer farming property in Central Otago.