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Catchment Environmental Monitoring Report: 2008/09

TR 2010/05

Report: TR 2010/05

Author:  Sally Grant, Claire Littler and Reece Hill

Abstract

As part of Project Watershed and Peninsula Project implementation, the Catchment Environmental Monitoring (CEM) Programme was developed to demonstrate the long term benefits of soil conservation. To date, monitoring has been established in selected priority catchments for soil conservation in the Waipa, Lower Waikato, Upper Waikato and Coromandel management zones.

The Catchment Environmental Monitoring (CEM) programme allows Environment Waikato to:

  • demonstrate the long term benefits of soil conservation and river management work programmes
  • better utilise resources and leverage opportunities to co-ordinate monitoring internally and externally (e.g. within Environment Waikato, NIWA and Landcare Research)
  • integrate new monitoring requirements into existing regional monitoring networks.

Prior to the CEM programme soil conservation implementation relied on regional monitoring information being reinterpreted at a catchment scale. However, this information is often misleading because regional scale information is being applied at a finer scale (catchment scale).

This report provides CEM programme results for the 2008/2009 year.

Catchment Environmental Monitoring Report: 2008/09 [PDF, 718 KB]

Contents
  Acknowledgements i
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Background 1
1.2 Report content 1
1.3 Monitoring approach 1
1.4 Management zone boundaries 2
1.5 Monitoring information 4
2 Lower Waikato zone 5
2.1 Introduction 5
2.2 Matahuru catchment 5
2.2.1 Monitoring process 5
2.2.2 Soil stability 5
2.2.3 Riparian characteristics 5
2.2.4 Water temperature 5
2.2.5 Photo points 6
2.2.6 Suspended sediment 6
2.2.7 Main  points 7
3 Upper Waikato zone 8
3.1 Introduction 8
3.2 Pokaiwhenua catchment 8
3.2.1 Monitoring process 8
3.2.2 Soil stability 8
3.2.3 Riparian characteristics 8
3.2.4 Water temperature 8
3.2.5 Photo points 9
3.2.6 Stream ecological health 9
3.2.7 Main points 10
3.3 Mangare catchment 10
3.3.1 Monitoring process 10
3.3.2 Riparian characteristics 11
3.3.3 Water temperature 11
3.3.4 Photo points 11
3.3.5 Stream ecological health 11
3.3.6 Main points 12
3.4 Tahunaatara catchment 12
3.4.1 Monitoring process 12
3.4.2 Water temperature 12
3.4.3 Photo points 13
3.4.4 Stream ecological health 13
3.4.5 Main points 14
4 Waipa zone 15
4.1 Introduction 15
4.2 Mangatutu catchment 15
4.2.1 Monitoring progress 15
4.2.2 Riparian characteristics 15
4.2.3 Water temperature 18
4.2.4 Photo points 19
4.2.5 Suspended sediment 20
4.2.6 Stream ecological health 21
4.2.7 Main points 22
4.2.8 Other monitoring 22
5 Coromandel zone 23
5.1 Introduction 23
5.2 Wharekawa catchment 23
5.2.1 Monitoring progress 23
5.2.2 Riparian characteristics 23
5.2.3 Water temperature 26
5.2.4 Photo points 27
5.2.5 Suspended sediment monitoring 27
5.2.6 Stream ecological health 28
5.2.7 Main points 29
5.3 Other monitoring 29
  References 30
  Appendix 1: Riparian characteristics summary 31