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.

What are the potential sources of nutrients from aquaculture activities?
How can aquaculture activities influence sediments in waterways?
How can mining activities influence sediments in waterways?
What are the potential sources of nutrients from urbanisation?
What are the potential sources of nutrients from horticultural activities?
How may horticultural activities increase sediments in waterways?
How may forestry activities increase sediments in waterways?
What are the potential sources of nutrients from agricultural activities?

This month we bring you a full-length edition of FWU, with national river flow and water quality maps and information, and updates on three research projects.

A summary and maps of the latest monthly and three-monthly nationwide riverflow information, and our outlook for the coming three months.

Pages

All staff working on this subject

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