Life in Local Streams?

Life in local streams?

Hamilton City

>120 km of mapped gully stream

Many seepages Mangakotukutuku Other urban sites

Gibbons Te Awa O Katapaki

“Hospital” stream Bankwood Freshwater fish

Over 40 native freshwater species

Around 21 introduced species

Many native species migrate (e.g., whitebait)

Some are long-lived – eels can live >80 years

Eat invertebrates – terrestrial and aquatic

Lay eggs – sometimes outside the stream

Stephen Moore, Landcare Research Fish in Hamilton streams

25 Non-threatened native species – 5 spp Threatened native species – 4 spp

20 Introduced species – 4 spp

10 Common bully

Redfin bully Number of sites 5

0 The baddies

Bruno David, WRC

Photos: Stephen Moore, Landcare Research Longfin eel

THREATENED animal.discovery.com Giant kokopu

THREATENED Stephen Moore, Landcare Research Banded kokopu Inanga - whitebait Torrentfish

Torrentfish Common bully Torrentfish

THREATENED (Photos: Stephen Moore, Landcare Research) THREATENEDStephen Moore, Landcare Research Torrentfish

THREATENED

Stephen Moore, Landcare Research THREATENED Koura

Stephen Moore, Landcare Research Black mudfish

THREATENED Photo Nick Ling Common bully Banded kokopu

Redfin bully Smelt

Redfin bully

(Photos: Stephen Moore, Landcare Research) Fish sampling

Electric fishing B.Hicks, University of Waikato B.Hicks, University of Waikato Spot-lighting

Fyke netting Minnow trapping Mangakotukutuku trib.

Stephen Moore, Landcare Research

B.Hicks, University of Waikato

Stephen Moore, Landcare Research

Stephen Moore, Landcare Research Stephen Moore, Landcare Research EELS INANGA

Autumn Late summer - Autumn

Spring

Spring terra.govt.nz Fish migration

Diagram courtesy of Cindy Baker, NIWA Eggs

Stephen Moore, Landcare Research www.doc.govt.nz Distance travelled 5,000 km

Eels

Inanga

Banded kokopu Distance travelled > 110 km

Hamilton Banded kokopu

Giant kokopu

Inanga

Hamilton www.wikipedia.com www.wikipedia.com The food pyramid

Eels B. David, WRC

Small fish

S. Moore, Landcare Research

Big invertebrates

S. Moore, Landcare Research

Small invertebrates

S. Moore, Landcare Research

Algae, leaves etc Stream insects

B. Smith, NIWA Seeps and springs are important

…disconnected from stormwater network

…30% of mayfly and caddisfly species from McCraw 2011

…uncommon, iconic and even new invertebrate species

Oxyethira kirikiriroa

B. Smith, NIWA

Giant bush dragonfly

T.Wilding, NIWA Sensitive invertebrates

Stephen Moore, Landcare Research Tolerant invertebrates

Stephen Moore, Landcare Research

Stormwater

Storm runoff can occur 10 times more often Typical large floods can occur 3 times more often Temperatures can be around 6oC warmer

Channelisation Historical legacies…

…such as old landfills Water quality

• Keep chemicals out of drains • Clean cars on the grass • Keep rubbish out of the gully/stream • Paint roofs • Disconnect downpipes if roof-cleaning etc Restore fish passage

Enhance habitat Re-introduce fish (a) 140 Parana Park (P1) P1 130 Chartwell Park (K11) Mangaiti Park (K10b) Average 120 Mangakotukutuku (M11) M11 110 K11 K10b 100

90 Length(mm) 80

50 Jan Mar Apr Jun Aug Sep Nov Jan

Time 2007

(b) 30 P1

Average 20 M11 15 K10b

K11 Weight (g) Weight B. Bartells, NIWA 10 Giant kokopu 5

0 Jan Mar Apr Jun Aug Sep Nov Jan

Time 2007 Riparian planting