DRAFT
Pāpāwai-Mangarara Stream Community Catchment Group
The Pāpāwai Community Trust Stream Restoration Project formed in mid-2005 with the goal of restoring the mauri (life-force) of the awa.
Location
Waiōhine Awa, is the source of the Pāpāwai-Mangarara stream. From its source, the water of the Waiōhine disappears underground and emerges as a series of springs east of Greytown, Wairarapa.
A number of these springs bubble-up between the Pāpāwai Road culvert and the Fabian Road culvert to form a meandering course, which flows vaguely parallel to Pāpāwai Road before joining the Ruamāhanga River.
Over 80% of the water in the Pāpāwai-Mangarara Stream is derived from this underground source, the remainder is assumed to come from surface water.
For generations the Stream was a wonderful playground and source of food and water for mana whenua. Tuna (eel), kōkopu (native fish), and kōura (freshwater crayfish) could be found in abundance.
Pāpāwai Marae, stationed on the edge of the Stream, was historically the site of the only Māori government in Aotearoa, and in days gone by, supported a population of 3,000 people.
In recent decades the Stream, once bordered by native bush, has become choked by uncontrolled willow and blackberry growth, and the water increasingly degraded by modern practices: de-forestation, livestock farming, wastewater discharge, and diverted surface water run-off.
Vision
The aim of the Stream Care Group is to restore the mauri (life force) of the Pāpāwai-Mangarara Stream. This objective includes the health of connected waterways, groundwater, stream life and other plants, animals, and people.
Outcomes
Restore the health of the connected waterways, groundwater, stream life and other plants, animals and people
Restoration of eels and other native fish and invertebrates
The stream is safe and attractive for children to play, swim and kayak in
Stream and aquifer provides water for homes and irrigation
Cultural and historic sites and values associated with the stream better understood, acknowledged, protected and promoted
Restore wetlands
All human wastewater is kept out of the stream
Projects
Restoring biodiversity
The primary focus of this group is restoring the once thriving biodiversity along the Pāpāwai-Mangarara river.
In collaboration with landowners and local schools, the Care Group has planted thousands of trees over the past 20 years, removed tonnes of unchecked willow, and organised hundreds of metres of fencing along the edge of the stream.
All these actions are working towards the ambition of a thriving ecosystem with native fish and invertebrates that were historically present.
Fish passage barriers
The group has been introduced to the NIWA fish passage assessment tool.
To ensure Kōkopatuna (long fin eels), kōkopu, and kōura are able to travel up and down the awa the group are assessing potential barriers to fish passage.
This will ensure that if there are any barriers then work can be made to either remove or remediate them.
Water quality monitoring
After 20 years of hard mahi restoring the riparian margins of the awa, the group is interested in knowing what the quality of the water is.
There was bottle sampling done at 5 sites along the awa under the WaiP2K catchment communities project.
However the group is keen to know more. They have recently done a session to understand how and why they might monitor.
The next steps are to create a plan and get a keen group of landowners out monitoring the awa.
