Discussion about tarn

Press, 24 May 1977, Page 3

Discussion about tarn

Visitors are destroying the fragile natural environment at Margaret’s Tam in the Arthur’s Pass National Park by trampling the peat which retains the water, and a delegation from the Arthur’s Pass Association met the park board yesterday to discuss the problem. The tarn is enclosed by a raised peat bog, and a track to the headwaters of the Bealey River passes through the area on a raised board walk. The board walk has not been sufficient to halt the trampling, which broke down the peat and allowed the water to trickle away. Mr E. J. Davies, the board chairman, said: “The situation that has developed at Margaret’s Tam is but one example of the subtle, often irreversible changes which occur with the over-use of a fragile area. “The tarn is a feature worth preserving, and this will mean taking all pressure off the area for some time and carrying out restorative work,” he said. The board and the association agreed on proposals to reduce the effect of people in the area.