Vegetation survey of aquatic and wetland sites in Gisborne District Prepared for Gisborne District Council June 2017 Prepared by: Paul Champion Rohan Wells For any information regarding this report please contact: Paul Champion Programme Leader Freshwater Biosecurity +64-7-856 1796 [email protected] National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Ltd PO Box 11115 Hamilton 3251 Phone +64 7 856 7026 NIWA CLIENT REPORT No: 2017236HN Report date: June 2017 NIWA Project: GDC17202 Quality Assurance Statement Reviewed by: Mary de Winton Formatting checked by: Alison Bartley Approved for release by: David Roper © All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or copied in any form without the permission of the copyright owner(s). Such permission is only to be given in accordance with the terms of the client’s contract with NIWA. This copyright extends to all forms of copying and any storage of material in any kind of information retrieval system. Whilst NIWA has used all reasonable endeavours to ensure that the information contained in this document is accurate, NIWA does not give any express or implied warranty as to the completeness of the information contained herein, or that it will be suitable for any purpose(s) other than those specifically contemplated during the Project or agreed by NIWA and the Client. Contents Executive summary ............................................................................................................. 6 1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 7 2 Site selection and methods ........................................................................................ 8 3 Results .................................................................................................................... 10 3.1 Te Aroha Station Bush, Pehiri Road, Tiniroto ......................................................... 10 3.2 Noble Campbell Wetland, Tiniroto Road, Tiniroto ................................................. 12 3.3 Lake Kaikiore, Berry Road, Tiniroto ........................................................................ 13 3.4 Lake Karangata, Berry Road, Tiniroto ..................................................................... 14 3.5 Lake Waihau, Ruakaka Road, Tiniroto .................................................................... 15 3.6 Lake Kaikereru, Ruakaka Road, Tiniroto ................................................................. 16 3.7 Green Lake, Ruakaka Road, Tiniroto ....................................................................... 17 3.8 Lake Rotokaha, Tiniroto Road, Tiniroto .................................................................. 17 3.9 Roadside pond, Tiniroto Road, Tiniroto .................................................................. 18 3.10 Spring in Lower Kukupara Stream Bush, Davis Road, Matawai .............................. 19 3.11 Kukupara Stream crossing, roadside wetlands, Whakarau Road, Motu ................ 21 3.12 Alcuin Wetland, Motu Road, Motu ......................................................................... 22 3.13 Waimare Stream, Matawai ..................................................................................... 23 3.14 Lake Repongaere, Patutahi ..................................................................................... 24 3.15 Orongo Station Wetlands, Coop Road, Muriwai .................................................... 25 3.16 Te Wherowhero Lagoon, Muriwai Beach Road, Muriwai ....................................... 26 3.17 Awapuni Road pond, Gisborne ............................................................................... 27 3.18 Cedenco Foods pond, Innes Road, Gisborne .......................................................... 27 3.19 Waikanae Creek, Gisborne Airport, Gisborne ........................................................ 28 3.20 Waihau Road pond, Whangara ............................................................................... 29 3.21 Waihau Road swamp, Whangara ............................................................................ 30 3.22 Waihau Road fen, Whangara .................................................................................. 31 3.23 Lake Waitawa, Whangara Road, Whangara ........................................................... 32 3.24 Emirau Wetland, Whangara Road, Whangara ........................................................ 33 3.25 Kaitawa Stream, Wharf Road, Tolaga Bay .............................................................. 34 3.26 Pond Bush, Pond Road, Tokomaru ......................................................................... 34 3.27 Ratahi Lagoon, Te Puia Springs ............................................................................... 35 3.28 Whareponga Road wetlands, Ruatoria ................................................................... 35 3.29 Lake Opotehetere, Potaka ...................................................................................... 35 4 Endangered species ................................................................................................. 36 4.1 At Risk Declining ..................................................................................................... 36 4.2 At Risk Data Deficient ............................................................................................. 38 4.3 At Risk Recovering .................................................................................................. 39 4.4 At Risk naturally uncommon ................................................................................... 39 4.5 Locally rare species ................................................................................................. 41 5 Biosecurity risk species ............................................................................................ 42 5.1 Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum).................................................................... 42 5.2 Parrot’s feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum) ........................................................... 42 5.3 Reed sweet grass (Glyceria maxima) ...................................................................... 42 5.4 Water celery (Apium nodiflorum) ........................................................................... 42 5.5 Yellow flag iris (Iris pseudacorus) ............................................................................ 43 5.6 Grey willow (Salix cinerea) ...................................................................................... 43 5.7 Alder (Alnus glutinosa) ............................................................................................ 43 5.8 Gypsywort ............................................................................................................... 44 5.9 Monkey musk (Erythranthe guttata) ...................................................................... 44 5.10 Carex divulsa ........................................................................................................... 45 5.11 Additional species ................................................................................................... 46 5.12 Recommendations .................................................................................................. 46 6 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................. 47 7 References and websites .......................................................................................... 48 Appendix A Species list for all sites visited in Gisborne District ............................. 50 Tables Table 1: Water body and wetland sites scheduled for vegetation surveys within Gisborne District. 8 Figures Figure 2-1: Satellite image of Gisborne District. 9 Figure 3-1: Te Aroha Bush Lake and surrounding kahikatea/matai dominated forest. 10 Figure 3-2: Gypsywort (Lycopus europaeus) on the margin of Te Aroha Bush Lake. 11 Figure 3-3: Noble Campbell Wetland photographed from the north. 12 Figure 3-4: Lake Kaikiore. 13 Figure 3-5: Lake Karangata. 14 Figure 3-6: Lake Waihau. 15 Figure 3-7: Lake Kaikereru. 16 Figure 3-8: Lake Rotokaha. 17 Figure 3-9: Spring in Lower Kukupara Stream Bush. 19 Figure 3-10: Submerged vegetation in Lower Kukupara Stream Bush spring . 20 Figure 3-11: Grey willow (Salix cinerea) seedling on the margin of Lower Kukupara Stream Bush spring. 20 Figure 3-12: Potamogeton crispus in the Kukupara Stream crossing, Whakarau Road. 21 Figure 3-13: Alcuin Wetland. 22 Figure 3-14: Waimare Stream. 23 Figure 3-15: Lake Repongaere. 24 Figure 3-16: Freshwater pond in Orongo Station Wetland. 25 Figure 3-17: Te Wherowhero Lagoon. 26 Figure 3-18: Awapuni Road pond. 27 Figure 3-19: Waikanae Creek near Gisborne Airport. 28 Figure 3-20: Waihau Road pond. 29 Figure 3-21: Waihau Road raupo swamp. 30 Figure 3-22: Waihau Road fen. 31 Figure 3-23: Lake Waitawa. 32 Figure 3-24: Emirau Wetland. 33 Figure 3-25: Roadside clump of giant reed (Arundo donax) in Tolaga Bay. 34 Figure 3-26: Ratahi Lagoon. 35 Figure 4-1: Urtica perconfusa. 36 Figure 4-2: Cyclosorus interruptus. 37 Figure 4-3: Freshwater mussel (Echyridella menziesii) from Lake Rotokaha. 38 Figure 4-4: Ranunculus macropus in Waihau Wetland. 38 Figure 4-5: Dabchick or weweia (Poliocephalus rufopectus) 39 Figure 4-6: Sea musk (Thyridia repens). 39 Figure 4-7: Fennel-leaved pondweed (Stuckenia pectinata). 40 Figure 4-8: Marsh fern (Thelypteris confluens). 41 Figure 5-1: A small Grey willow (Salix