Earthquake impacts

The earth quake will accelerate damage caused by a lack of riparian plantings- with bank collapses and high rates of siltation in many of our lowland rivers over the next month. Also the earthquake has brought up lots of subterranean silt in the liquefaction process. Silt volcanoes have erupted in may areas. It will be a tough time for our lowland waterways.

eroded banks - Halswell canal

intrusion on LII

Photo shows an intrusive weed clearing machine and platform on edge of delicate LII riparian margin. A wire cable prevented boat passage on river. No doubt an increase in nutrients has accelerated weed growth in the river. Not a very sensitive approach to weed control-

Kaituna river- a severly degraded river system- cattle damage to banks

Halswell River bank exposed

Note - bare banks- no riparian buffer- so fine silt-soil washes into river choking much aquatic life. The Halswell suffers from soil wash off severely degrading the in-stream values of this critical waterway within the Te Waihora catchment.

Sign- lower Waimakariri River- Canterbury

Embarrassing to drive past when taking international visitors down to the river to go fishing. The lower Waimak- a braided river on our doorstep- a drain for treated industrial waste.

Riparian destruction - Jollie's Brook

A small coastal stream near Taumutu, on the South Canterbury Coastline. In 2004 I was shocked to see the destruction along the entire side of the creek of a flax riparian margin over a distance of 1 kilometre. At the time I was informed that it was routine flood control - a laughable explanation for a stable coastal spring creek. Since local authorities were made aware a retrospective resource consent was given along with the implementation of an ecological restoration program- of which I was given no details. This one goes in the to follow up basket.

Okana River- Lake Forsyth tributary

Photograph shows severe erosion and silt input. More care needs to be taken of the riparian margins of the Okana and Okuti Rivers- especially in there lower reaches, to contribute to an improvement in the water quality of lake Forysth- Wairewa. This photo taken in September 2008 shows how little has been done to look after a once much renown lowland waterway. With advocacy by myself and others some improvements have been made to fence out cattle but more needs to be done.

Future of trout fishing on Canterbury Plains

With so many lowland streams either lost water or been degraded I have found fishing irrigation raceways a rewarding experience- a bit of a contradiction- but better than nothing.

Didymo- and Hurunui dam proposals

Didymo is likely to become prolific throughout the entire Hurunui River system if a dam is placed on the South Branch of the Hurunui- Didymo blooms go hand in hand with dammed and modified rivers !
(Photo shows didymo blooms in North Branch of Hurunui- stabilised naturally by lake Sumner. Didymo is now so prolific in the North branch of the Hurunui to make this section of river difficult to fish with nymphs or to spin fish).

heavy metal- toxic discharge into estuary

Polluted water discharge into Avon River from culvert

No way to treat the fine spring creeks we have flowing through our city

Polluted water

Sewage still over flows in to our, Christchurch's, urban rivers during high flows

Hurunui

40% being taken out at Mandamus for irrigation

Cattle grazing sensitive wetland vegetation- Lake Ellesmere

Orari River

Dry- functionally a river that often does not connect to the sea

Riparian management ?

Dead cattle eroded banks and silt - no way to treat our precious waterways- Lower Halswell river channel

signs

signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs signs SIGNS SIGNS SIGNS SIGNS SIGNS SIGNS SIGNS SIGNS SIGNS SIGNS SIGNS SIGNS SIGNS SIGNS SIGNS SIGNS SIGNS SIGNS SIGNS SIGNS......
blocking my view

Can you tell heaven from hell

A clear spring creek from a muddy drain

Spring creeks and dairy cows

Wairewa- Lake Forsyth

Of cultural importance to Ngai tahu for the annual "Tuna" short-finned eel harvest-
100% Pure -NZ - YEAH RIGHT !

Resistance of memory

Waiwhio- "waters of blue duck"- Irwell river- Western side of Lake Ellesmere.
No longer any blue ducks and no longer a functional waterway ( a spring creek that once flowed all year- now reduced to a "baseline trickle"). Sadly all these signs are but an epitaph for the stream.

IKAWAI

"WATERS OF FISH" - a photo-journalistic blog site for the awareness of the state of New Zealand's freshwaters.



Peter Langlands
Outdoor/ environmental writing and photography
B.Sc (Zoology) Diploma of Science (Aquatic Ecology)

H: 64 3 338 5373
M: 0274 501 916
E: langlands@xtra.co.nz

P.O.Box 2819
Christchurch Mail Centre
New Zealand