FRESH WATER - Taranaki Regional Council
FRESH WATER - Taranaki Regional Council FRESH WATER - Taranaki Regional Council
Table 4.33: Number of freshwater invertebrate taxa recorded from Taranaki rivers (from reference sites only). Number of taxa recorded Maximum no. of taxa per site Median of no. of taxa per site Large east hill country Lowland coastal stream Ring plain rising in national park Ring plain rising outside national park Small (lowland) hill country 111 100 138 123 118 35 28 40 37 35 15 16 22 22 18 Table 4.34: Number of taxa found in each of the major invertebrate classes by habitat type. Large east hill country Lowland coastal stream Ring plain rising in national park Ring plain rising outside national park Small (lowland) hill country Flatworms 3 3 4 4 4 4 Worms 4 3 3 2 2 4 Molluscs 7 9 9 9 11 11 Crustaceans 15 10 16 11 11 17 Mayfl ies 13 7 15 13 10 15 Stonefl ies 6 3 10 7 7 10 Damsel/dragon fl ies 2 6 5 5 7 7 Beetles 7 6 7 7 7 7 Bugs 3 4 4 4 4 4 Neuroptera 0 0 1 1 0 1 Caddisfl ies 22 16 26 24 21 27 True fl ies 22 25 29 27 26 30 Interestingly, the largest freshwater invertebrate found, the freshwater crayfi sh or k _ oura, is more frequently found in lowland ring plain rivers that do not tend to rise in the national park, i.e. they tend to be in smaller streams. Table 4.35 shows the number of times that k _ oura have been found during the Council’s biomonitoring programmes. Table 4.35: Frequency of reference sites that koura have been recorded in Taranaki. Total number of samples Number of samples with k _ oura % of samples with k _ oura Large east hill country Lowland coastal stream Ring plain rising in national park Ring plain rising outside national park Regional Total K _ oura populations are decreasing in some areas as they are affected by stream modifi cation. Predation by introduced species has also played a role, as has harvest for human consumption in some places. K _ oura are listed as a threatened species and their populations are in gradual decline. Small (lowland) hill country 247 231 1,832 572 436 5 23 49 143 88 2 10 3 25 20 State of the Environment Report 2009 137
138 FRESH WATER 4.4.2 HOW IS FRESHWATER BIODIVERSITY MANAGED? (A) PLANS The Regional Fresh Water Plan for Taranaki contains objectives, policies and methods, including rules to address issues that relate to biodiversity such as the uses of river and lake beds, water quality and wetlands. For example, policies are included that require resource users to avoid, remedy or mitigate the adverse effects on aquatic life and habitat, other policies address issues such as regionally signifi cant wetlands. Specifi c policies require instream structures to provide for the unrestricted passage of fi sh or the installation of suitable fi sh pass facilities. When conditions of the rules cannot be met, resource consents are required and mitigation measures considered. The removal or decommissioning of unused structures is promoted unless for ecological, historical or other reasons the structure should remain. Regionally signifi cant wetlands, those over fi ve ha and those with rare or uncommon indigenous species are protected from drainage through rules in the Regional Fresh Water Plan for Taranaki. The Department of Conservation has prepared threatened species recovery plans for mudfi sh and large galaxiids. These plans set out advocacy and management actions. (B) RESOURCE CONSENTS All resource consents for uses of river and lake beds, or for activities in regionally signifi cant wetlands, are assessed against policies in the Regional Fresh Water Plan for Taranaki. This includes an assessment of natural, ecological and amenity values, and the relationship of tangata whenua to the water body. Also considered are the costs and benefi ts of the use to the community and possible mitigation measures – including appropriate timing of the works and provision of fi sh passage. The Council is also proposing to develop guidelines for both applicants and consenting offi cers in terms of information that needs to be gathered for stream modifi cation applications (stream straightening, culverting etc.). This could include information on the amount of stream modifi cation that has already occurred in the catchment using tools such as GIS and aerial photography. (C) ENVIRONMENTAL ENHANCEMENT GRANTS Environmental enhancement grants are used by the Taranaki Regional Council to promote the protection and enhancement of regionally signifi cant wetlands (and more recently other sites with regional signifi cance). The amount of money allocated from this fund over the past fi ve years is set out in Table 3.2 in Chapter 3.4 (Biodiversity on land). TARANAKI – WHERE WE STAND (D) INFORMATION, EDUCATION AND ADVICE The Council provides information, education and advice to landowners and schools through its sustainable land management and education in schools programmes. The Council has prepared guidelines on resource consent requirements regarding the construction of culverts, bridges and road culvert maintenance. Through the Council’s sustainable land management programme, landowners are provided with advice and support on riparian planting and wetland protection. The Council advocates for the protection of regionally signifi cant wetlands from threats with a particular focus on fencing, supplementary planting and covenanting of the wetlands for their long-term protection. Grants are made to land occupiers to cover the costs of enhancement and protection. There are two legal protection mechanisms available – a covenant (with either the QEII National Trust or the Department of Conservation) or a memorandum of encumbrance with the Council. (E) RESOURCE INVESTIGATIONS While stream modifi cation (stream realignment and culvert installation) carried out in small tributaries is not a new issue, the effect of these works on instream ecology has not been documented to any signifi cant extent in the rural community in Taranaki. The Council is currently undertaking a resource investigation in order to: • determine the ecological values in small tributaries in Taranaki; • assess the effects of culverting various lengths of stream on these ecological and hydrological (particularly during low fl ow) values; • determine the extent to which loss of small streams is occurring in Taranaki; • assess the effects of clearing vegetation from small streams on ecological values; • establish a method for assessing the cumulative effects of piping and realignment in a catchment and an approach to deal with this in the consenting process (i.e., a database or GIS map detailing total loss of stream reach); and • investigate and recommend appropriate mitigation measures to mitigate the loss of instream habitat. Field day on riparian planting and wetland protection. Taranaki Regional Council
- Page 1 and 2: 130 FRESH WATER 4.4 FRESHWATER BIOD
- Page 3 and 4: 132 FRESH WATER Table 4.29: Status
- Page 5 and 6: 134 FRESH WATER Table 4.31. Number
- Page 7: 136 FRESH WATER Table 4.33 shows th
- Page 11 and 12: 140 FRESH WATER (I) SUMMARY OF PROG
Table 4.33: Number of freshwater invertebrate taxa recorded from <strong>Taranaki</strong> rivers (from reference sites only).<br />
Number of taxa<br />
recorded<br />
Maximum no. of<br />
taxa per site<br />
Median of no. of<br />
taxa per site<br />
Large east<br />
hill country<br />
Lowland<br />
coastal stream<br />
Ring plain rising<br />
in national park<br />
Ring plain rising<br />
outside national park<br />
Small (lowland)<br />
hill country<br />
111 100 138 123 118<br />
35 28 40 37 35<br />
15 16 22 22 18<br />
Table 4.34: Number of taxa found in each of the major invertebrate classes by habitat type.<br />
Large east<br />
hill country<br />
Lowland<br />
coastal stream<br />
Ring plain rising<br />
in national park<br />
Ring plain rising<br />
outside national park<br />
Small (lowland)<br />
hill country<br />
Flatworms 3 3 4 4 4 4<br />
Worms 4 3 3 2 2 4<br />
Molluscs 7 9 9 9 11 11<br />
Crustaceans 15 10 16 11 11 17<br />
Mayfl ies 13 7 15 13 10 15<br />
Stonefl ies 6 3 10 7 7 10<br />
Damsel/dragon fl ies 2 6 5 5 7 7<br />
Beetles 7 6 7 7 7 7<br />
Bugs 3 4 4 4 4 4<br />
Neuroptera 0 0 1 1 0 1<br />
Caddisfl ies 22 16 26 24 21 27<br />
True fl ies 22 25 29 27 26 30<br />
Interestingly, the largest freshwater invertebrate found, the freshwater<br />
crayfi sh or k _ oura, is more frequently found in lowland ring plain rivers<br />
that do not tend to rise in the national park, i.e. they tend to be in<br />
smaller streams. Table 4.35 shows the number of times that k _ oura have<br />
been found during the <strong>Council</strong>’s biomonitoring programmes.<br />
Table 4.35: Frequency of reference sites that koura have been recorded in <strong>Taranaki</strong>.<br />
Total number of<br />
samples<br />
Number of samples<br />
with k _ oura<br />
% of samples<br />
with k _ oura<br />
Large east<br />
hill country<br />
Lowland<br />
coastal stream<br />
Ring plain rising<br />
in national park<br />
Ring plain rising<br />
outside national park<br />
<strong>Regional</strong><br />
Total<br />
K _ oura populations are decreasing in some areas as they are affected<br />
by stream modifi cation. Predation by introduced species has also<br />
played a role, as has harvest for human consumption in some places.<br />
K _ oura are listed as a threatened species and their populations are in<br />
gradual decline.<br />
Small (lowland)<br />
hill country<br />
247 231 1,832 572 436<br />
5 23 49 143 88<br />
2 10 3 25 20<br />
State of the Environment Report 2009<br />
137
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