Nukuhou Stream - Landowner efforts paying off

Years of work for landowners in the Nukuhou catchment are paying off according to a recent water quality report.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council Land Management Officer Ben Banks said the latest water quality results for the Nukuhou Stream showed that the efforts of farmers were slowly but surely paying off.

"This latest report shows a steady decline in some of the nasties in the water, such as faecal coliforms and E.Coli, and that's due to keeping stock out of waterways," Mr Banks said.

"We've still go a long way to go. Reducing sediment and nutrient flow in the streams and tributaries of the Nukuhou catchment is a long-term project due to the soil types, topography and geology of the area," he said.

Since January 2006 a number of works have been carried out to reduce faecal contamination in the Nukuhou Stream.

Work included building a crossing and five new bridges that significantly reduced the number of stock crossings through the river.

Of the 146 kilometres of Nukuhou River and tributary stream banks, a total of nearly 120 km (80 percent) is now protected from stock. Over a 12 month period more than seven and a half kilometres were fenced to exclude stock, and 29 water troughs installed.

This work has been carried by landowners with the guidance and assistance of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council to reduce nutrients into the waterways.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council helps farmers and landowners across the region with free advice and services such as land use capability assessments, soil information , and riparian management plans.

"We want to work with other farmers to help them identify the land uses that are best for their properties, to help them fence and replant stream banks, and retire steeper land from grazing," Mr Banks said.

For more information call Bay of Plenty Regional Council on 0800 884 880 and ask to speak to a land management officer or go to www.boprc.govt.nz