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4941 Hawke's Bay Coastal Profile Monitoring 2016
Author(s): David Carruth
Publication Date: 1 June 2017
Publication Number: 4941
4939 Hawke's Bay rainfall recharge measurements 2011 – 2014
Author(s): P. A. White
Publication Date: 1 May 2017
Publication Number: 4939
Annual water quality update for Tutira Lakes Monitoring Programme.
Author(s): Vicki Lyon
Publication Date: 1 May 2017
Publication Number: 4932
4930 RM17-08 Soil Quality in Hawke's Bay 2016 - Extensive Pasture
Author(s): Tim Norris
Publication Date: 1 May 2017
Publication Number: 4930
The Scheme area encompasses a substantial area of braided riverbed, estuarine and coastal beach
habitats. The Scheme’s berms and escarpments contain large areas of exotic grassland/herbfield, forest
and treeland and, where conditions have allowed, a small (in area and number) yet important collection of
native forest and shrubland sites remain. In addition to the wetland habitat provided by the riverbed itself,
a range of freshwater (riverine and palustrine) wetlands are present on the berm areas of the Scheme.;
Author(s): A Forbes
Publication Date: 1 May 2017
Publication Number: 4926
The Tukituki Rivers EMEP utilises the fundamental structure of earlier EMEPs, and
incorporates feedback and knowledge gained over the period that the three EMEPs have
been prepared and implemented.
Author(s): Adam Forbes
Publication Date: 1 May 2017
Publication Number: 4925
Executive summary
Wetland is one of the most critically threatened ecosystems in Hawke’s Bay and in New Zealand. Hawke’s
Bay has lost 98% of its wetlands, which is proportionally more than the national scale of loss (90% loss
nationally). It is anecdotally evident that most remaining wetlands are now isolated, have gone through
modification of varying degrees, and they remain under threat of further decline.
Regional councils have responsibilities to maintain indigenous biodiversity under the Resource Management
Act 1991, and to protect the significant values of wetlands under the National Policy Statement for
Freshwater Management (NPS-FM 2014). Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s Tukituki River catchment Plan
Change 6 (PC6) sets out improved and additional provisions to protect wetland values.
The primary purpose of state of the environment monitoring for wetlands is to produce a snapshot of their
state, and to monitor trends to detect early signs of decline or improvement. By doing so, monitoring results
could inform the effectiveness of national and regional statutory frameworks.
A pilot study was completed for the Tukituki catchment in which site selection framework, survey and
reporting methods were explored and field-tested. As a result, 10 freshwater wetlands were selected to
represent a range of wetland types typical of the Tukituki catchment, and baseline data for condition,
vegetation, soil and plant nutrient status, water level, and wetland birds (spotless crake and fernbird) were
compiled.
Half of the monitored wetlands were in good condition while others were more degraded. However, all of
the wetlands are subject to a high level of pressures, particularly from undesirable plant species such as crack
and grey willows. Either or both species of willow were present at 9 out of 10 monitored wetlands.
Fluctuation of water levels was particularly high in marsh compared to fens and in some of the swamps where
water level was relatively stable and lay just above or below the ground surface. Soil and foliage nutrient
showed the expected pattern, where fens are generally lower in nutrient status than swamps or marsh (see
Appendix C for descriptions of the characteristics of fen, swamp and marsh).
Most of the monitored wetlands supported either spotless crake or fernbird, both of which are threatened
species (At Risk – Declining). This was despite the absence of predator control targeting non-possum
predators, except at Whatuma where mustelids, cats and rodents are actively controlled.
One of the key indicators for wetland condition is nutrient concentrations in soil and/or plant foliage. A
current snapshot of nutrient status showed patterns among wetland class and vegetation types. Most of the
soil nutrient concentrations were within the range of national thresholds, although a national threshold is
yet to be established for marshes. Combined with the nutrient status assessed as part of the Wetland
Condition Index, 3 of the 10 wetlands had particularly high nutrient status due to surrounding land use
activities and may require remedial actions in the near future.
The current bird survey method targets 2 species that are specialised in wetlands, albeit having different
habitat requirements. While these 2 species give an indication of habitat conditions (e.g. vegetation
structure, presence/absence of predators), a method targeting a small number of species misses other
wetland bird guilds such as water fowls, thus underrating some of the habitat values. The data does not give
an indication of the population size at a given site, making it hard to conclude if a wetland is doing well (or
not).
In conclusion, all of the monitored wetlands contribute to a representation of wetlands of the catchment but
they also are affected by key pressures such as undesirable species invasion and nutrient and sediment inputs
at a varying degree. Therefore it is recommended that efforts and attempts be made to maintain, restore, or improve the condition of these monitored wetlands. It is also recommended to review bird survey method to address the limitation described above.
Author(s): Keiko Habisha
Publication Date: 1 May 2017
Publication Number: 4929
NIWA was contracted by the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council to assess the condition of eight lakes within the Hawke’s Bay Region in the 2016/17 summer using LakeSPI (Submerged Plant Indicators).
This report presents LakeSPI results for eleven lakes in the Hawke’s Bay region that have been surveyed using LakeSPI to date. This includes the eight lakes surveyed for this contract: Hatuma (WhatumÄ), Oingo, Poukawa, Rotongaio, Rotoroa, Rotonuiaha, Runanga and Whakaki; and three additional lakes: Kaweka West, Waikaremoana and Waikareiti, where LakeSPI results were already available.
Author(s): NIWA
Publication Date: 1 March 2017
Publication Number: 4971
This report is a synthesis of information from a scientific workshop held in Hawkes Bay on
“Ecosystem health in highly modified lowland catchmentsâ€. The workshop was hosted by the Hawkes
Bay Regional Council (HBRC) and Karamū catchment was used as a focus catchment to frame the
discussion. This catchment is one of four catchments subject to a proposed plan change. The primary
objective of the workshop was to identify which management actions would be most likely to
improve stream ecosystem health in lowland catchments such as the Karamū, while also protecting
other catchment and downstream values. Riparian management and nutrient reduction were
options of particular interest. Information gathered at the workshop was intended to inform the
TANK stakeholder group.
Author(s): Matheson
Publication Date: 1 March 2017
Publication Number: 4965
5002 RM 18-18 SedNetNZ modelling to evaluate and quantify sediment sources from the Tukituki Catchment, Hawke’s Bay
Author(s): David Palmer, John Dymond, Les Basher, Anne-Gaelle Ausseil, Alexander Herzig, Harley Betts, Raphael Spiekermann
Publication Date: 1 March 2017
Publication Number: 5002
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