Recommendations

  • Continue with biennial stream habitat assessments, in conjunction with annual macroinvertebrate monitoring, at all RWQMN sites.
  • Conduct a review of the current assessment protocol against the new protocol released in 2009, "Stream Habitat Assessment Protocols for Wadeable Rivers and Streams in New Zealand'. Identify differences between the two protocols and assess whether or not data gathered through each protocol is comparable.
  • Examine macroinvertebrate data and water quality data collected for each site, in conjunction with habitat assessment data, for the 2012 State of the Environment Report.
  • Investigate declining water quality/macroninvertebrate scores/stream health and stability at all sites that show a downward trend.
  • Carry out multivariate statistical analysis of the macroinvertebrate data with the habitat assessment and water quality data.
  • Investigate implementation of a fish monitoring programme at all RWQMN sites, which would be conducted annually with the aim of monitoring fish populations at these sites.