Watercourses

Watercourses are a vital part of our environment and play important environmental functions. If you have a watercourse on your land, there are rules that may affect what you can and cannot do in and around the waterway.  The rules vary, depending on what type of watercourse you have. 

What type of watercourse do you have?

We’ve produced this Watercourse guide to help you determine whether a watercourse is a river, ephemeral watercourse, highly modified river or stream, or artificial watercourse. 

Watercourse types

How to determine whether a watercourse is a river, ephemeral watercourse, highly modified river or stream, or artificial watercourse. Read more here

date_range Published 31 May 2021

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Highly modified waterways

Highly modified waterways (which are sometimes called ‘drains’) are very important ecological habitats. We’ve produced this guide to help you understand your responsibilities if you want to do any work in these waterways:

Good Practices for the Mechanical Management of Highly Modified Waterways

The highly modified rivers and streams that make up drainage networks are often thought to be of little ecological value. This is due to their “unappealing” appearance, the intensively developed… Read more here

date_range Published 31 Jan 2022

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Watercourse maps

Highly modified rivers and streams have been mapped in some parts of the region (where there is a high concentration of these watercourse types). Have a look at the maps.

Find out more about what watercourses Greater Wellington maintains.

Get in touch for advice

Let us know if you need help figuring out how the rules apply to you:

• Phone: 0800 496 734
• Email: info@gw.govt.nz