The Upper Rangitīkei River Catchment
The RRCC territory encompasses the Rangitīkei, Turakina, and Whangaehu river catchments. The Upper Rangitīkei sub-catchment group was officially established in 2019 and is one of our longest running sub-catchment groups. It’s made up of a group of eight large stations farming sheep and beef with a combined land area of 50,000 hectares.
The Upper Rangitīkei Rivers sub-catchment group has one simple vision – a river with thriving biodiversity.
Determined to reduce erosion and reduce siltation down river, land owners increased their investment in freshwater quality and freshwater ecosystem protection. Investment by members of this sub-catchment group includes:
- Large reductions in erosion and sediment run-off to waterways through retirement of 93 hectares of steep hills and native bush, and,
- Planting of over 2,270 poplar trees for erosion control.
- Better management of intensive winter grazing
- Stock exclusion from waterways with over 100 kilometers of new fence lines installed along the river and its tributaries and wetlands.
Every month, members of this group measure progress towards this vision by testing water quality at the upper and lower reaches of their sub-catchment and where four tributaries enter the Rangitīkei River. Water samples are tested for Nitrate, Nitrogen, Phosphate, E. Coli, and turbidity. Macroinvertebrate sampling is also undertaken annually.
Monthly water samples are collected and tested by all RRCC sub-catchment groups, which use this information to help pinpoint any potential issues or trends that appear in water bodies and to measure the progress of their on-farm efforts and investment and make more informed decisions.
If you’re in the area, be sure to check out our visual signboard located near the Springvale Bridge on the Napier-Taihape road.
Simon Plimmer is the chair for this sub-catchment group and you can contact the groups coordinator, Louise Totman, for more information at louise@rrcc.co.nz
The Upper Rangitīkei River Catchment group is one of 23, and growing, catchment groups across the wider Rangitīkei Rivers Catchment Collective. Learn more about the different sub-catchment groups across the Rangitīkei.
