Members of the Whanganui West Catchment Group during a stream health day.
Members of the Whanganui West Catchment Group during a stream health day.
The results of three years of water monitoring in Whanganui are set to be revealed, but the group behind it still has work to do.
The Whanganui West Catchment Group - made up of farmers and residents from the Kai Iwi, Ototoka, Mowhanau, Okehu and Omapu Stream catchments - formed to understand the state of waterways.
Chair Mike Russell said hundreds of samples were sent for laboratory analysis, followed by a scientific review of the data.
“The work is ongoing, but we have reached a point where there is a sufficient data set for us to share, so the community has a clearer picture of the positives, the challenges and a pathway forward.”
A report from the group said samples using eDNA showed the streams hosted a healthy range of aquatic insects, as well as redfin bully, shortfin eel, giant kokopu, koura (freshwater crayfish) and kakahi (freshwater mussel).
“On the other hand, E. coli bacteria continue to cause concern, and the group is refining its surveying to try to find better ways to reduce that persistent problem,” it said.
“The work is separate from Horizons’ [Regional Council] monitoring, which gives rise to warnings in summer to bathers at Kai Iwi and Ototoka.”
Whanganui Region Catchment Collective (WRCC) co-ordinator Natasha de Rose said volunteers undertook the sampling at 82 sites.
The WRCC is the umbrella organisation for the West Whanganui group.
“We always need more buy-in, but there are certainly some farmers who are pulling their weight and doing a lot of stuff on their properties,” de Rose said.
“I think farmers got sick of the narrative that they were causing E. coli in swim spots, and that’s been a big driver for them behind the scenes.”
The Mowhanau Stream is one of five in the Whanganui West catchment. Photo / NZME
Russell said the group was “a very small cog in the big picture”.
“It all feeds into what New Zealand Inc is getting for produce overseas,“ he said.
“More and more of our red meat customers, the likes of [United Kingdom supermarket] Sainsbury’s, are starting to ask about the environment from which their meat is being supplied and whether it’s being looked after.”
He said, historically, there had been minimal water testing in the area.
“This report is forming the basis of what our next actions will be.
“It is a long-term thing we’re looking at. We have to hold our position in terms of water quality, and try and improve it.”
De Rose said funding for the group’s work came from the Ministries for Primary Industries and Environment via the WRCC, with additional funding for sampling and reporting from Wai Connection.
“There are a few catchment groups up and running now, like Okoia and a little one in the back of Brunswick down to Papaiti.
“They are up country as well, through to Taumarunui and beyond.
“We are all trying to do the same things, but working together makes it a bit easier.”
Russell said in the 1970s and 1980s, the focus in the Whanganui West area was to clear land and grow grass.
“The focus for this generation is actually looking after the environment, waterways and biodiversity.
“We’d like to see more farmers getting involved, and we’d like more members. The more the merrier.”
The report will be presented at the Mowhanau Beach Community Hall on July 24 at 7pm.
Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
