Our location
Wilton Road, Tatuanui.
Kaupapa | Our Purpose
A farmer-led project which aims to restore a riparian floodplain wetland, with the aim of bringing back indigenous flora and fauna, improving water quality, and slowing down flood flows.
How We Did It
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Created farm constructed treatment wetlands
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Retired degraded wetlands from pasture
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Retired riparian buffers along both ephemeral and permanent watercourses
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Planted native plants (trees, shrubs and sedges)
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Undertook water quality testing and monitoring
Outcomes
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Restored a 123 m length of existing modified watercourse back into a 0.37 ha (3,700 m2) riparian floodplain wetland over two years, from 2020 to 2021.
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Permanently retired ~ 1 ha of marginal farm land into riparian wetland and lowland native forest.
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Extensive planting with native wetland plants including sedges, grasses, and rushes.
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Results from water quality monitoring of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and E. coli from 2021 to 2024 have shown a significant improvement in water quality due to treatment by the wetland.
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Changing from ‘D’ state to ‘A’ state for ammonium-N (NH4-N) from upstream to downstream of the wetland (i.e. the wetland is treating the water) is a remarkable result.
What's Next
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Engagement with interested neighbours
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Set up as a demonstration site and extend knowledge to others
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Maintain fencing, weed and pest control of wetlands, and retirement areas
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Undertake enrichment planting
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Wetland planting and Raupo transfer to enhance potential bittern (matuku-hūrepo) habitat
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Ongoing water quality and biodiversity monitoring and reporting
