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Riparian management

Lowland waterways, including streams, rivers, wetlands and farm drains, play a vital role in:

  • maintaining water tables
  • controlling flooding
  • supplying water for irrigation and livestock
  • providing habitats for native flora and fauna.

The quality and quantity of water that enters these waterways, and eventually runs into lakes, estuaries and the sea, is directly affected by land-use and management practices on adjacent land.

The absence of riparian plantings in some areas contributes to the high volume of farm effluent, fertilizers and chemicals that drain into waterways. This results in rivers and beaches that are no longer suitable to swim in, and freshwater resources that aren’t suitable for livestock drinking water.

To improve water quality it is essential that landowners understand the effect of their management practices on water resources, and how they can minimise these.

To help council staff and farm advisers improve their skills in managing their land, the Ministry for the Environment has produced a guide to the sustainable management of riparian margins called Managing Waterways on Farms and a handy guide for farmers to help them design culverts and bridges of adequate size called Culvert and Bridge Construction. The Ministry has also worked with regional councils to run a series of workshops training people in waterway management.

The Stream Health Monitoring and Assessment Kit (SHMAK) was developed by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and Federated Farmers with funding from the Ministry for the Environment's Sustainable Management Fund. For more information about SHMAK visit the New Zealand Landcare Trust website.

Last updated: 17 September 2007