Stream restoration

Hi All,

I have a creek flowing through our property and we have privately been trying to restore. Mostly by removing willows, fencing is off from stock and doing natural plantings around the banks. 10 years ago or so, the creek had quite a healthy population of trouts living in it... Even a couple of large friendlily ones which we saved from a pond which was drying up and transported to permanent water. They would quite happily raise to bits of bread, and even ended up spawning in a shallow rapid.

Sadly, my father gave permission for a eeler to set his traps in the pond to get a few eels. He assured as that the traps did not catch trout, and he would release any. Nothing of what he said was true, and the friendly trouts were last seen trapped in the net late that night (thinking back we should of released them and knifed the net).   After that there was a few trouts left in less desirable areas, but the creek was hit by a drought which turned many of the ponds into stagnant slime pits. Slowly they dried. Then for the next 4-5 years the creek flow has not connected to the main river for long enough to allow trouts to repopulate the ponds.

On several occasions I have been tempted to catch a few fingerling's to release in the creek. Might have to ask Fish and Game opinion on doing that. In all our restoration attempts have not improved water quality by much, there is more overhanging grasses and flaxes, but due to the extra light weed growth has increased. The log jams caused by fallen down willows also created small waterfalls which use to dig out deep pools. Many of them have started to fall in sense, but that could have been due to the lack of any floods. The creek is now a better place for nesting water fowls.

Thats very interesting stuff Militaris, You do tend to think a stream is a stream is a stream.  But there are so mant changing variables that make a stream a stream and habitat for fish like trout. I guess native species planted hard along the banks would give the shelter and shade the water. Just leaving nice runs and pools clear with grasses and flaxs hebes etc. Prob is you bust a gut to do the right thing but your neighour still has cattle standing in the middle and soiling the stream above your section:-(   

Thanks guys.

The small creek which I took the photos off pretty much dries completely up during the summer. Its deepest spot is only about half a meter. It use to have one deep-ish pond caused by water running through a culvert which kept water in all but the driest of years. Use to be a good spot to catch tadpoles. But the largest fish I find in it was a small eel. But the council filled that in while burying a pipe along the roadside. At the moment, the small creek has not even started flowing properly. Tomorrow I would check the culvert. The water currently there has slowly been raising from springs, and a bit of trapped rain.


With regards to the main creek, during a normal years flow it would connect to the Opawa river for maybe 2-3 months. During that time quite a few trouts would slowly head up it, Most of which I suspect would die. During the strong flows/floods I suspect a few trouts (along with the eels) would swim back down towards the sea. When my dad was a child (40 years ago)he saved 50 odd small trouts from a single pond which was drying up. In the last few years I have probably saved 30-40 eels and around 300 bullys from the creek. I do not know if the eels were swimming upstream or downstream when they got trapped.

For the other 9 months of the year there is a series of isolated ponds which pretty much hold water, at times the ponds would be separated from each other. (The creek is dry both upstream and downstream from them) In winter the creek is all fresh and clean looking. Came summer it would warm up and slime would take over unless there is tree cover, water weeds grow quite thickly. Came autumn the ponds have started to become quite stagnant.

With regards to the colour of the water. It really depends on the amount of rainfall we get. If it is heavy enough to cause a flood it would be brown... if it is a lighter fall then it would flow clear. During the summer months the the willows probably keep the water slightly cleaner because they block out the light and slow down the growth of weeds and slimes. In autumn their leaves would stain the water.

Personally I think willows and large trees have their place.

mmmm so the message in all that is that each streams situation is unique and you probably need to know and really think about what your doin before you go farkin with anything ...... I'm sure theres something about history repeating in there too !

I get a lot of info from F&G as a councillor. Much of it cannot be made public due to their frustration with BNZ... They do not want to exasapate a situation where they see BNZ running a media campaign but not a campaign that does naything for Didymo...

Toby,

http://www.beyondfish.com/xlcp.asp

Re. Didymo, we now have it in the Mataura near Athol, the Eglinton (a trib. of Te Anau), the Matukituki (a trib of Wanaka), as well as the Oreti, Aparima and its trib. the Hamilton Burn, Whitestone, Mararoa, upper & lower Waiau, Upukerora, Fraser River (a trib. of the Clutha), upper & lower Clutha, Von (a trib. of Wakatipu), Hawea R., Ahuriri, Twizel, Ohau, Waitaki, Buller (there's probably a few other waters around the Buller), and Lakes Dunstan, Benmore & Manapouri.  Next season, I am expecting it to be found in the Manuherikia, Lindis, Timaru River (a trib. of L. Hawea), Makarora and the Tekapo R.  I am certain it will end up in the central North Island in time, the Tongariro would be perfect habitat.  First found in the Waiau & Mararoa in Oct. 2004, I saw it in the Hawea the day (28 Sept 2005) Southland F & G Officer Stu Sutherland found it there, small growths about the size of a 5 cent piece.  By the end of December 2005, I estimate at least an 80% coverage of the upper Clutha riverbed.  There is great difficulty fly fishing in it, even with dry flies (during its bloom).  This probably should be on another forum (shift this message if you wish), but I thought you guys should know.  In my opinion, it poses the single greatest threat to NZ's freshwater eco-systems and freshwater recreation.  Be vigilant, keep it out of the central NI for as long as you can.  It's a very sobering sight when you have the pleasure of its company.