UPDATED 7.10PM: It's understood the North Canterbury station whose herd was caught drinking in a public lake is owned by the country's Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias and her husband - high profile businessman Hugh Fletcher.

The cattle is believed to have come from Lakes Station.

Neither Dame Sian or Mr Fletcher have returned calls.

Property owners in the Lake Taylor area of North Canterbury are defending farmers who let their cows bathe in the waterways.

A war of words has been sparked between Fish and Game and Federated Farmers after pictures, snapped by a holidaymaker, showed a large group of beef cattle drinking and bathing in a waterway right next to a DOC campsite.

Chris Shucker, who owns a bach in the area, claims humans are doing more damage than the cows ever could.

"All the campers still leave their rubbish, their crap in the bush and leave a hell of a mess everywhere," he said.

Is this good enough? Cattle get free access to Canterbury's beautiful Lake Taylor beside DoC's public camping ground pic.twitter.com/UbszCVUH09

— Fish and Game NZ (@FishandGameNZ) January 19, 2016

Federated Farmers North Canterbury president Frank Brenmuhl also believes there's not much to worry.

"It's not ideal but what we're looking at here as far as I can tell is high country cattle drinking in a high country lake," he said.

"It's not common, the stocking rate is very low, the impact is also very low."

Water spokesperson for the Green Party Catherine Delahunty disagrees, arguing that it's an affront to locals and tourists who have an interest in keeping the water clean.

"Everywhere in this country where there's water, it needs to be protected," she said. "Not only in our most popular recreational spots like Lake Taylor, but everywhere because fresh water is declining really fast."

Delahunty said it's time the government banned all livestock from waterways and lived up to a reputation of being "a great place for clean water".

Land Information New Zealand relates that it will be reminding the farm owners on either side of Lake Taylor about their obligations.

LINZ officers will visit the tenure holders on both sides of the lake this afternoon.

The person behind the photograph is laying a complaint with Environment Canterbury.