Mind the Stream
A guide to looking after urban and rural streams in the Wellington region
Streams provide habitat and food for hundreds of plants and animals, from tiny algae to two metre eels. Streams also provide freshwater for people and stock to drink and places for people to swim and play.
Horokiwi Stream, Battle Hill Farm Forest Park
It’s vital to look after the small streams and keep them clean and healthy. Polluted streams feed into larger streams, rivers and lakes polluting them also. Lower reaches of the river system can become unsuitable or even impossible for many plants and animals to live in. They can also become unsafe for people to swim in, and the water can be made unpalatable or unsuitable for stock to drink.
In this section you can find out about what affects streams, what difference streamside management makes, what you can do to restore the margins of streams on your own property, and which are the best plants to plant beside streams in the Wellington region. This information is also in our booklet, Mind the Stream, which you can download from the sidebar at the right of this screen, or you can order a free copy from publications@gw.govt.nz
Advice and information - how Greater Wellington can help
Streams and stream margins - the benefits to rural and urban landowners of minding stream margins on their properties
How pollutants affect streams - nutrients, sediment and disease-causing organsims: how they get into streams and the effects they cause
What a planted stream margin can do for natural heritage - the benefits to water quality, stream life, terrestrial life and people
Shade - what difference does it make? - why shading streams is so important, and how much shade is enough to make a difference
Keeping stock out of streams - where to fence and why
Bridges and culverts - why they're good, and the regulatory requirements that apply
Planting for results - weed control, when to plant, plant spacing, where to plant what, how to decrease flood risk
Top streamside species - ten native plant species that establish well beside streams
Other useful plants - more plants that you can add to the mix.