Another Local Stream Exploration

Today I packed my nets, buckets and gumboots(which I later discovered had developed a few holes since last wearing them) in my car and headed to a stream that I have known about for years but never really explored. The stream mainly runs through farm land, originating at a few springs in the hills behind Putiki, Wanganui.
As it runs through farmers properties, I only had access to the parts where it runs alongside the main road befor heading under the road and again through private property. It then passes under another road a kilometre or so away, wher I again was able to get access.
The first part of the stream has recently been diverted due to roadworks and in an effort to prevent it flooding the road. ( several years ago, I couldnt go to work for a few hours as it flooded the road and all the farmland around it). Due to this there is an lack of life , although there is a variety of exotic aquatic plants that were quick to take hold.

Looking upstream, State Highway 3, Looking south.
Aquati plants here include, Potomogeton Crispus, Watercress-Nasturtium microphyllum/officinale,Ranunculus amphitrichus (rivularis)
and several other grasses and weeds.

The only fish life I saw here was a few Whitebait, and some small Bullies. There were lots of mud snails, and a family of Ducks.

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I then jumped in the car again and drove downstream to where the stream again comes out from under the road. There is about a kilometre distance between the two areas, but access was only available here where it passed under the road to the Wanganui Airport.

The appearance of the stream was drastically different, with many more aquatic plants and visible signs of fish.

Looking downstream from where the stream emerges from under road.

There was lots of riparian growth, mainly grasses and willow trees, with an abundance of aquatic plants.

Again there was lots of P.Crispus, but also Aponogeton distachyus, Elodea canadensis (Anacharis) and the light green floating plant that is seen in the above pictures. I have not yet been able to identify this myself.

I had my waterproof camera handy so I took a few underwater pictures to give an idea of what it must look like to the fish.


The substrate is made up of silt mud and small stones with lots of wood and tree roots.
I moved a few pieces to see what was there and saw several Bullies

The fish

Whitebait caught amoung the aquatic plants

Bullie, I think it is a Giant Bully. Was approx 15-17cm in length.
Further downstream, Lots of Aponogeton

The stream the went under another fence into a property which I had no access to.
Approx 700 metres as a crow flies(the actual length of the stream was alot more as it wound its way through private property) I had acces via a small gravel road which was actually someones driveway.
The stream here was approx 500 metres from its mouth into the Whanganui river and in very obviously tidal.

Tide marks can be seen on the old bridge and bare mudflats with crab holes. There is a distinct lack of aquatic plants here, but there is a large bed of a plant that I have yet to identify

Closeup of the said plant

I lifted several stones and there were lots of small mudcrabs. and the only other creature I could find was mud snails.
The water is obviously brackish at high tide.

Next stop, buy myself some new gumboots. LOL

See HERE for a development to this stream