Water habitat improvement - the what
In essence, the Waiau Trust focuses on the habitat enhancement of waterways, wetlands and riparian margins – this enhancement is the Trust’s number one priority.
“Sub-catchment by sub-catchment” and “headwaters to confluence” – a step by step approach
Headwater wetlands, bush blocks and gully systems feed springs and small streams. These small streams and their catchments become large waterways and catchments which eventually flow into the major lakes and rivers.
Enhancing these habitat types and sequences and their riparian margins in small sub-catchments (from the headwaters to the confluence with the next waterway), means over time enhancement of whole systems from top to bottom can be achieved. Eventually, such an approach produces cumulative catchment-wide benefits for fisheries and wildlife and improvement of water quantity and quality.
Property boundaries are irrelevant to ecosystems. The management of waterways, gullies, bush blocks and wetlands on individual farm properties matters to the overall ecosystem health.
Methods of habitat enhancement - the how
When we engage in habitat enhancement, the main emphasis is on waterways and wetlands.
Waterways
- fencing of streams and their riparian margins,
- removal of stock grazing from riparian margins of streams,
- protecting native headwater and riparian vegetation,
- riparian planting of streams for shade and shelter,
- restoring hydraulic linkages,
- pest plant and pest animal control.
Wetlands
- creation of open water habitats,
- protecting natural wetlands,
- retaining native vegetation,
- fencing of wetlands and their riparian margins,
- removal of stock grazing from riparian margins of wetlands,
- cessation of drainage and burning activities,
- blocking of drains and restoring wetland water levels,
- restoring hydraulic linkages between wetlands and streams,
- pest plant and pest animal control.
Map of Trust projects - the where
See our interactive map here.
