As winter weather and heavy rain sets in, rural communities are being reminded to keep grazing stock off stopbanks to ensure the built embankments can perform their function.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council is asking farmers to keep grazing stock off stopbanks.

The main purpose of stopbanks is to provide essential flood protection for thousands throughout the region.

While they can be grazed by cattle at some times of the year, especially when the ground is firmer in summer, cattle grazing should be kept to a minimum during winter months.

Bay of Plenty Regional council principal works engineer Tony Dunlop says the wetter soil conditions combined with heavy animals can weaken and damage the region's stopbanks.

'During winter it really is just common sense to keep cattle off the stopbanks as much as possible to prevent the pugging and damage that they can cause.

Tony says council appreciates most farmers and lifestyle block owners know this and take care of the community assets.

'Good grass cover on a stopbank is like a ‘skin' that helps provide protection to the soil structure underneath. So pugging is not just a surface problem, it can cause much greater issues.”

Tony says it's a timely reminder for people to be keeping an eye on stopbanks to ensure farmers are doing the right thing – as there's too much at stake to risk flood damage to the properties and surrounding communities.

He says it's an offence to damage these assets and landowners can be held liable for any damage.

'The stopbanks are a regional council asset and are designed to protect property, production and of course the safety of everyone in our community.

'So we need to reinforce the importance of looking after our stopbanks to anyone who may be grazing stock.”

Stopbanks are a primary flood protection tool throughout the region. BOPRC manages and maintains almost 352km of stopbanks, protecting many millions of dollars' worth of land and property.