Groundwork

Fencing and riparian planting

A huge amount of fencing has already been undertaken around the lake and in the catchment, which is testament to the amount of effort the landowners have been putting in. Approximately one third of the lake is now fenced, and this amount is steadily increasing with applications for funding helping with the cost.

Fencing at Lake Ōmāpere.

In 2005, five landowners made applications to the Regional Council's Environment Fund. The Environment Fund is a contestable fund that can provide up to 50% of the total cost of environmental projects. The fund is open to individuals and voluntary groups for projects on private land.

All of the applications were granted, with funding totalling $42,700, including the largest single grant made of $20,600. The Far North District Council jointly funded two of the grants.

The grants were for fencing to exclude stock from:

• a wetland that feeds into the lake and protect an eroding gully;
• a margin of the lake and enhance a wetland on the lake margin, which will filter drainage water;
• an area of bush, a wetland area and a margin of the lake;
• spring-fed streams and swamps, and to construct a wetland;
• drainage systems on a property that already has half of the drainage system and most streams fenced.

The four grants awarded for projects in the Lake Ōmāpere area from the 2004 Environment Fund have been successfully completed. A fifth grant, for fencing off 2.1 kilometres of lake margin was given in March 2005 and has now been completed. Of these five grants through the Environment Fund, the Far North District Council contributed part funding to three through their SNA fund.

Nurseries

The Lake Ōmāpere nursery was completed in June 2005.

Following the successful completion of a nursery on the lake edge, built with the help of funding from the Northland Regional Council Environment Fund and the Far North District Council SNA fund, it is thought that growing plants in various smaller nurseries around the lake will be the best plan of attack for planting the lake margins. The nursery was completed in June 2005, and is now producing a healthy crop of native plants. The Department of Conservation is now beginning to propagate plants in its Kerikeri nursery.

Seed collection

In order to maximise the success of planting undertaken on the lake margins, the plants will be grown from locally sourced seeds. A seed collection programme is now in place, which began with a group from the Lake Ōmāpere Project Management Group meeting at the lake on 8 November 2005 to collect seeds from which plants can be propagated.

Approximately half a bucket of puriri seeds were collected, and have since been propagated in the Department of Conservation nursery. There was an excellent success rate, with many small seedlings now growing.

The next seeds to be collected will include harakeke, cabbage tree (ti kouka) and kanuka (kahikatoa).

Soil workshops

Soil workshops focused on assessing soil health and improvement techniques.

Attendance was good at the soils workshops held on 9 December, 2006. The focus of these workshops was learning how to assess the health of soil, and different management techniques to improve soil health. From a water quality perspective for the lake, this will ensure that nutrients are recycled in the soil and plant profile, minimising leaching/runoff losses to waterways.