Freshwater Quality

Latest news

Can native freshwater algae help restore the mauri of local waterways? Lawrence Gullery investigates.
What does science tell us about New Zealand cockles?
For the first time, satellites have been used to track coastal water health around Aotearoa New Zealand.
NIWA has updated and restarted a course using a riparian planning tool developed by one of its former chief scientists more than 20 years ago.

Latest videos

SHMAK Habitat - Rubbish

The SHMAK method for rubbish involves collecting and identifying all the rubbish (litter) in the stream and on the stream banks. It was designed to complement rubbish assessments on our beaches so the data is comparable.

SHMAK Habitat – Visual Habitat Assessment

The SHMAK visual habitat assessment needs no equipment, only your eyes. It gives your stream a score that you can use to assess changes over time or compare streams.

SHMAK Habitat – Streambed Composition

There are two methods for describing streambed composition: the visual assessment method is quicker while the Wolman walk is more accurate.

SHMAK Stream Life – How to Sort and Identify your Benthic Macroinvertebrate Sample

An ice-cream tray provides an excellent container to isolate and separate your benthic macroinvertebrates. The SHMAK Benthic Macroinvertebrate Field Guide can help you with your identifications. Posting a photo to the Freshwater Invertebrates NZ project in iNaturalist can help you identify any invertebrates you don’t recognise - https://inaturalist.nz/projects/fresh... When you enter your data into the NZ Water Citizens website - https://nzwatercitizens.co.nz/ - you can use the online calculator to calculate a health score.

This project aims to increase our knowledge of aquatic ecosystems and their restoration, and apply this to degraded streams, rivers, lakes and estuaries.
A NIWA-led project to support anyone wishing to deploy a water quality sensor in rivers, lakes and estuaries.
Can native freshwater algae help restore the mauri of local waterways? Lawrence Gullery investigates.
What does science tell us about New Zealand cockles?
For the first time, satellites have been used to track coastal water health around Aotearoa New Zealand.
NIWA has updated and restarted a course using a riparian planning tool developed by one of its former chief scientists more than 20 years ago.
Bottom lining is the installation of a flexible covering over the top of beds of aquatic weeds, similar to using weed matting in home gardens. The lining is held in place by weights (e.g., rocks or sandbags) or by pinning. This control method is also called ‘benthic barriers’.
A combination of artificial intelligence and scientific ingenuity looks set to be the next step forward in protecting Aotearoa New Zealand’s lakes and rivers from invasive aquatic weeds.
Environmental monitoring technician Patrick Butler has spent hours travelling between the upper and lower reaches of Canterbury’s Waimakariri and Hurunui Rivers. His mission – river water quality sampling.
How much is too much? Susan Pepperell looks at some of the tough decisions looming around access to freshwater and how science is helping with solutions.
A web application tool to explore monitoring data and model predictions related to stream and estuary eutrophication
A new study has identified seven freshwater species native to Aotearoa-New Zealand that will likely be highly or very highly vulnerable to climate change.
Te Nehenehenui (previously Maniapoto Māori Trust board) and NIWA are working collaboratively to support Ngāti Maniapoto whānau to reconnect with and participate in the assessment of their freshwater according to their values.

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All staff working on this subject

Principal Technician - Marine Ecology
Principal Scientist - Ecosystem Modelling
Principal Scientist - Aquatic Pollution
Principal Scientist - Catchment Processes
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Riparian and Wetland Scientist
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Land and Water Scientist
Surface Water - Groundwater Modeller
Principal Scientist - Aquatic Pollution
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Water Quality Scientist
Hydrology Scientist
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Catchment Modeller
Regional Manager - Auckland
Maori Organisational Development Manager
Algal Ecologist
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Principal Technician - Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology
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