Stay up to date with this long-term Freshwater Improvement Fund project as it progresses.
Ecological and cultural benefits for Tasman’s wetland areas have been realised with our Mangatāwhai / Black Valley Wetland project, just north of St Arnaud.
Earthworks to “re-wet the wetland” took place over two weeks in March, involving the plugging and filling of areas where land had previously been drained to create productive land.
This work continued the efforts started by the Department of Conservation around 15 years ago.
“Wetlands are critical as being sponges or kidneys to not only clean the water but also hold onto it – that’s why this project is important,” Wetland Project Manager Blair Reid said.
Further enhancement was carried out through weed control, fish recovery, and sediment erosion control, with 3,284 plants planned over the next two years.
Where the drains were difficult to access by the digger, a helicopter provided a practical alternative for depositing the soil.
Our partnership with local iwi enabled some innovative approaches to the project – most notably through the use of harakeke geotextile baskets for plugging old drains.
These baskets reinforce the earth plug to ensure that it resists erosion – enabling plants to establish themselves and stabilise the plug.
“Using these baskets not only supports mātauranga but also reduces the number of helicopter trips required in future,” Blair says.
The Mangatāwhai / Black Valley project was made possible by the Ministry for the Environment’s Freshwater Improvement Fund (FIF) with in-kind contributions from the Council.
The wider FIF programme has enjoyed some pleasing successes in reaching the halfway point of this five-year programme.
So far, 21,000 hours have gone into protecting and enhancing wetlands, as well as 28,170 plants, 210ha of weed control and 82ha of pest animal control.
To celebrate World Wetland Day, we present He Kura Kūkūwai, He Kura Ika Waitī: The Treasures of the Wetlands, The Treasured Fish of the Freshwaters.
It's a culmination of research undertaken by Ngāti Kuia and supported by Te Kaunihera o Te Tai o Aorere | Tasman District Council as part of the Freshwater Improvement Fund.
The research enabled whānau to obtain and restore mātauranga for their people as kaitiaki and revitalisation of their cultural practises regarding the repo and taonga species. The repo is of great significance to Māori who have always known its immense value and function within the taiao of Aotearoa.
We are extremely pleased to share the outstanding restoration gains that have occurred at the Reilly Constructed Wetland on Berkett Creek, Motupipi.
Landowners Tony and Kathy Reilly have generously retired 7400m² of productive farmland for wetland restoration work, starting the previously drained and straightened waterway on its journey to improving the health of this important tributary.
Starting in mid-2021, Stage 1 was constructed in challenging ground conditions with Stage 2 completed in early May 2022.
The Reilly’s generosity has provided the canvas for this amazing work, with the Ministry for the Environment’s Jobs for Nature programme and the Council’s team of passionate wetland restoration experts contributing to a blossoming project.
Stems planted in Autumn 2021 and Autumn 2022 are going gangbusters and woody debris installed to improve in-stream habitat is largely intact despite numerous high flow events.
The project has been so well supported by Tony and Kathy that we have pooled our resources to build Stage 3 this coming summer.
Project Manager of Wetland Restoration Blair Reid says the Reilly project is another good example of farmers displaying guardianship of the land with a view beyond their own lifetimes.
“The really inspiring aspect of this work is the coming together of two worlds that are sometimes seen as totally different, productive farming and environmental restoration, when in fact the two go hand in hand.”
One of our wetland restoration projects near Mahana recently benefited from the support of the local school community with a mutually beneficial weekend working bee.
We have been working with the Porter family in recent months to undertake a constructed wetland project on their Moutere Hills property.
Work began earlier this year to reconstruct stream meanders, reconnecting with its floodplain and adjacent wetlands.
The results have been impressive so far, but what’s a wetland without some plant life to enhance the area?
Parents and kids from Mahana School managed to get more than 7000 plants in the ground over the course of a weekend last month.
As well as doing their bit for the environment, the planting also doubled as a fundraiser to enhance their school pool.
Luke Porter said the collaboration was part of a vision for environmental change that the family had looked to achieve since moving onto the land seven years ago.
“The best part is just getting the community on board, replanting all the natives back into this wetland, and the next generation is going to be able to see this as it used to be – an important part of the ecosystem.”
The constructed wetland project is part of wider efforts to protect and enhance the native vegetation communities in natural wetlands across the District.
Funding for the Council’s contribution to the project is being provided by the Ministry for the Environment’s Jobs for Nature Freshwater Improvement Fund.
The Parker wetland, just a stone’s throw from Lake Rotoiti, has been drained, was once farmed and is now afflicted with an infestation of silver birch. By plugging the drains, the current landowners hope to enhance the hydrology within the wetland, reduce rabbit populations and encourage the natural regeneration of native plants.
Through our combined efforts with the landowners, Department of Conservation, Ministry for the Environment, contractor FuturEcology and the support of Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō and Ngāti Kuia Trusts, we’ve been busy turning a Northern European boreal landscape into a taonga or treasure for us all to be proud of.
Silver birch can be very invasive and have a huge ecological impact on ecosystem functionality.
Twelve years ago, there were five silver birches in this wetland, now there are estimated to be over 50,000 which will cost around $20,000 to eradicate over three hard years and no doubt a few wasp stings too.
So, we really need your help! If you live in the St Arnaud area and you have silver birch trees on your property, we ask that you consider their removal. For those that need help or have purchased silver birch as an amenity tree, we can also assist with replacement trees up to a set value.
The St Arnaud project is one of the first natural wetlands as part of Jobs for Nature-funded efforts to protect and enhance native wetlands in our District.
Our wider Motupipi River Catchment enhancement works have seen "a little gem" of a constructed wetland take shape on a family farm near Tākaka.
Tony and Kathy Reilly have generously retired 7400m² of productive farmland on Berkett Creek for wetland restoration work, starting the previously drained and straightened waterway on its journey to improving the health of this important tributary.
Through the Reilly’s generosity and assistance from the Ministry for the Environment’s Jobs for Nature programme, over 100 digger hours, 1,000 people hours and 4,000 plants have been invested in the future water quality of Mohua over the past year.
The stream is once again full of diverse habitat for fish, kōura and shrimp. In flood, the stream will overflow into adjacent wetlands, filtering out sediment and contaminants.
Wetland Restoration Project Manager Blair Reid says the Reilly project is a good example of farmers displaying guardianship of the land with a view beyond their own lifetimes.
“The really inspiring aspect of this work is the coming together of two worlds that are sometimes seen as totally different, productive farming and environmental restoration.“
“One of the points of difference is the way the design integrates the stream and wetland ecosystems as it once would have been ... it really is a little gem.”
Manawhenua Ki Mohua is supporting the project, contributing to fish recovery and the restoration of wetlands, while Project De-Vine and local nurseries and contractors have also been valuable and enthusiastic contributors.
Under the Freshwater Improvement Fund, our Wetland Restoration project aims to create seven new constructed wetlands across Tasman, while around 40 natural wetlands will be improved and protected by pest plant control, planting natives and restoration of natural hydrological regimes.
Farmland in Golden Bay has had an ecological makeover as the first major wetland is constructed in our plan to boost habitats and freshwater health in the years ahead.
The Berkett farm project in Golden Bay was commissioned under the Freshwater Improvement Fund. This is a $4.3 million partnership between Tasman District Council and Ministry for the Environment, which, alongside a number of fish passage projects, aims to rejuvenate key habitats over the next five years. Seven constructed and 40 natural wetlands will be included in the programme.
The Berkett project is part of a catchment-wide improvement programme that aims to improve water quality by treating pasture runoff in the Motupipi River catchment. Earthworks began in April, and the first round of planting was undertaken recently by around 15 Golden Bay High School students who put in 800 plants across 2,000 square metres.
Blair Reid, Project Manager – Wetland Restoration said the constructed wetland will help treat high production farmland, treat disease-causing organisms like E. Coli and address the build-up of nutrients such as phosphorus or nitrates in the water runoff.
As well as providing benefits to the landowners, installation of the constructed wetland also benefits the nearby streams and Motupipi River. The next three years will involve maintenance, releasing of plants and checking for survivability of plants as the wetland starts to flourish.
Blair said he was grateful to landowners who have facilitated access to properties and said engagement had been very positive towards “the wonderful mahi being done to protect the kidneys of the environment.”
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