Plans to boost Snake Creek's water quality

Fish and Game has plans to turn lowland drain Snake Creek into a living spring. Photo / Supplied

In the 1980s a spawning survey done by the then New Zealand Acclimatisation Society showed there were 357 trout spawning redds in the lowland drain Snake Creek.

As of last year there were only 57.

North Canterbury Fish and Game wants to change these figures, proposing a restoration project that aims to turn Snake Creek into a living stream.

The creek is one of three that makes up the Silverstream Catchment which flows into the Selwyn River.

The creek begins upstream of the Chamberlains Ford and flows out to Selwyn River above Coes Ford.

Parts of the project includes Fish and Game setting up sediment traps to help reduce sediment loads downstream, reducing E. coli and phosphorus levels and providing a pool habitat.

Natural features will be placed strategically along the stream while gravels on Snake Creek will be turned over mechanically following consultation with iwi.

Fish and Game officer Emily Arthur-Moore said the main issue is the Snake Creek drain is too wide, has low velocity, lacks diversity and is dominated by a "run habitat."

"It doesn't have any diversity so a normal stream has what we call a pool, riffle, run sequence," she said.

Mrs Arthur-Moore said studies by ECan show elevated E.Coli levels in Coes Ford is a result of pollutants from the Silverstream Catchment.

She said while the water quality is considered to be okay for swimming, by the time you get to Coes Ford the water quality has decreased a lot.

If successful the project will not only benefit trout and native species, it will improve water quality in places including Coes Ford.

The whole project is expected to cost between $600,000 to $700,000 and is so far supported by about seven organisations including the Canterbury Waterway Rehabilitation Experiment and Living Waters.

If Fish and Game raises $300,000, the Ministry for the Environment will consider matching the money.

Last Tuesday, Mrs Arthur-Moore ran a presentation on the project, asking the Selwyn-Waihora zone committee for support and to contribute between $50,000-$60,000 over the next three years.

It was decided the zone committee would supply a letter of support and encourage ECan's to support the project through the long-term plan funding.

Te Taumutu Runanga representative Les Wanhalla said while he thought the project would be the best thing to happen to Snake Creek he wants to ensure the runanga is involved in the decision-making.

If enough funds are raised, the project will start in 2018.