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The Waikato region has more than 16,000 kilometers of rivers and streams. Well-managed streams and rivers benefit our region’s environment and economy. Flooding and erosion management plays an important role in ensuring the safety of people, property and the environment. Environment Waikato is responsible for the overall management of our region’s rivers and their catchments, including the effects of flooding and erosion. Find out more about river catchment management and flood risk assessment for our region.
Why we manage our region’s rivers and catchments
Our streams and rivers have changed dramatically since European settlement. They’ve been dammed, had water pumped out or diverted, waste discharged into them, and exotic plants and animals introduced. Catchment areas have also been greatly modified. Much of the native vegetation that would have once slowed the flow of water from hillsides and helped to hold hillsides together, has been cleared for agriculture, forestry and urban development.
River and catchment modification have contributed to increased flooding and erosion in our region. Flooding and erosion threaten people and property, access ways and communication channels, and limit land productivity. It’s important our waterways and catchments are managed to help minimise erosion and flooding, and the damage they cause. Find out more about the effects of flooding and erosion.
What we are doing
Environment Waikato manages our region’s rivers and their catchments in partnership with local communities to control flooding and erosion and to help maintain stable rivers and streams.
Stream and river stability, soil stability and flooding are influenced by natural events and processes and people’s activities over an entire catchment. Therefore, it’s important that Environment Waikato looks at and manages the catchment as a whole. Our physical works and services need to consider landuse, hazard management and environmental requirements within the catchment.
Our river and catchment programmes focus on providing physical works, services and advice to land owners. We aim to:
- reduce the risk of soil erosion and flooding
- reduce the amount of sediment getting into waterways
- improve water quality
- improve river stability
- improve river environments, for example, creating a better habitat for a wider variety of plants and animals (improved biodiversity).
Environment Waikato manages three main types of river and catchment works to help achieve the above aims:
- land management and soil conservation works
- river management works
- flood control works.
Land management and soil conservation works
We give advice about land management to promote best farm and property management practices, including appropriate land use, stream protection, erosion control and soil conservation. Soil conservation works help to minimise erosion on hill slopes and along river and stream banks. They include retiring erosion-prone land from grazing, constructing debris dams and erosion control structures.
Find out more about soil conservation benefits in the Waikato catchment.
River management works
A river’s flow and course can be affected by bank erosion and the build up of debris, silt or gravel. River management works help to keep rivers flowing on course, and include:
- protecting and stabilising riverbanks, through fencing and planting and coordination of works along river banks
- controlling bank erosion, for example by using rock protection, groynes1 or other riverbank stabilisation works
- removing blockages
- undertaking river training works - ensuring the flow paths of rivers are kept on course
- undertaking gravel and sand management.
If you’ve got a river flowing through your property, find out about your responsibilities as a landowner in our River Management Guidelines.
Find out more about river management benefits in the Waikato catchment.
Flood control works
Environment Waikato is responsible for the provision and maintenance of the major flood control schemes throughout the greater Waikato region. Some of these areas are managed in conjunction with district councils. The schemes include large-scale works that aim to reduce flood risks such as, stopbanks, pump stations, floodgates and detention dams.
Find out more about flood control benefits in the Waikato catchment.
Other activities
Environment Waikato operates a flood warning system, monitoring River Levels and Rainfall at over 50 automated recording sites. This enables us to warn land owners when our system alerts are activated by heavy rainfall and rising river levels.
Environment Waikato also develops and implements:
- asset management plans within a whole catchment management framework
- environmental policies and guidelines for works and services
- Risk Mitigation Plans, which aim to minimise the effect of natural hazards (such as flooding) on the Waikato economy and community.
Management zones
Environment Waikato provides river and catchment services within eight management zones in the region. These include the Coromandel Peninsula, Waihou/Piako, Lake Taupo, Upper Waikato, Middle Waikato, Lower Waikato, Waipa and West Coast zones. We also manage several major rivers including the Waihou and Ohinemuri river system, the Piako and Waitoa river system, the Waikato and Waipa river system as well as a large number of smaller rivers and streams.
Waihou Valley Scheme and Piako River Scheme funding systems review
The Waihou Valley Scheme and Piako River Scheme are comprehensive catchment, river and flood control schemes that cover the entire catchments of the Thames Valley and Hauraki Plains. The funding systems for the two schemes are being subject to a limited review. For full details click here.
More information
Find out more about preventing flooding on your property.
Find out how Environment Waikato can provide assistance to you and your community if you’ve been affected by flooding.
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Footnotes
1. Groynes are structures placed in rivers at right angles to the banks to direct flow and control erosion. They can be made of rock, timber or live willow trees.