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This report summarises the results of a new monitoring programme. This involved assessing periphyton and macrophyte cover, macroinvertebrate and fish communities, and aspects of aquatic habitat quality, at 48 sites that were randomly selected and located on permanently flowing streams and rivers on developed land. Based on the analyses undertaken here, the potential impacts/issues associated with periphyton and macrophyte cover on river and stream health in the Wellington Region are estimated to be relatively minor; with most river and stream reaches on developed land estimated to be compliant with objectives in GWRC’s Proposed Natural Resources Plan (78.1 and 71.0% of river length, respectively). In contrast, the majority of river and stream length on developed land is estimated to be non-compliant with the objectives stated in the Proposed Natural Resources Plan for healthy macroinvertebrate and fish communities (75.3 and 64.8% of river length, respectively).
Keywords: Rivers and streams, aquatic, ecological health, Wellington Region, periphyton, macrophytes, fish, macroinvertebrates, habitat