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Funding Success with WCEET
June 27, 2016
Sections of Lake Ohinewai and the Mangawara Stream will be getting some much needed attention from Waikato RiverCare Inc. thanks to new funding confirmed by the Waikato Catchment Ecological Enhancement Trust this June.
Waikato RiverCare Inc. will implement a three year planting project on the shores of Lake Ohinewai covering a total area of 2.3ha. This planting will complete ring planting around the entire lake. Lake Ohinewai was once widely used by the Ohinewai community and surrounding rural landowners for school activities and sporting events, and was a popular waterfowl hunting destination. However, lake use by the public has declined significantly due to the deteriorating water quality and highly visible algal blooms on the lake surface during the summer months. Completion of this project is one more step towards restoring this wonderful community resource to its former glory.
Woolly Nightshade control at Lake Ohinewai.
Site preparation on the Mangawara Catchment project has already begun thanks to funding received from the Mighty River Power/Tainui partnership. Pre-planting control has focused on eliminating grey willow from within the tree stand and Jerusalem Cherry which was carried in by birds. Project fencing for this 1.25ha planting has kindly been provided by the Waikato Regional Council. Quality fencing on a project like this is critical to ensure that the planting’s success is not compromised by grazing stock.
Grey Willow control on the Mangawara Catchment
The WCEET funding will cover the purchase and planting of 6,454 plants in August this year, as well as three years of site maintenance following planting. The vastness of the Mangawara Stream catchment contributes to its current poor condition with significantly degraded water quality reflecting the intensive land use occurring in all major feeding catchments. As with the Lake Ohinewai project, the planting and weed control at this site will help to improve the quality of surface flows into the Mangawara stream by trapping sediment, capturing nitrogen and supporting the stream bank under high flows.
A huge thanks goes out to WCEET for their continued support of Waikato RiverCare Inc. For more information on WCEET click on the image below: