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One translation for Waitakere is “cascading waters”, a fitting name for an area that is home to over 16,500 km of streams!
In the 1800s, when Auckland was just a small town, the well-to-do would travel half a day to picnic and swim in the pristine streams of rural, undeveloped Waitakere. However as Auckland grew, people and industry spread West. Industry used the streams to transport goods, and to get rid of their waste. As Waitakere became urbanised the landscape changed from native bush and pasture to impervious surfaces like roads and roofs.
Instead of rainwater filtering slowly through the soil into the streams, it now runs off roofs and roads into stormwater drains, picking up contamination and litter along the way. Stormwater drains go directly into the nearest stream without treatment, and so does the contamination and litter.
Contamination comes from things like people washing their cars and paintbrushes into stormwater drains, sewage overflows, industrial spills of chemicals and oil, sediment run-off from construction sites, and littering.
It’s not safe to swim or fish in many of our urban streams anymore. And because what flows into the streams ends up in the Waitemata Harbour, our most loved swimming and fishing spots are also threatened.
Thankfully, people have recognized the importance of healthy streams and started restoring them. In the West, Project Twin Streams, Friends of the Whau, Sustaining Our Streams and Stream Watch are providing opportunities for locals to improve their streams. Under their guidance schools, residents and community groups have taken up the role of guardians of their local streams with enthusiasm. Groups are cleaning up rubbish in and around streams, removing invasive weeds and replacing them with native plants that help to reduce erosion, improve water quality and bring native birds and fish back to our streams.
Restoration efforts are turning the tide on water quality degradation in our urban streams. One day they could be our treasured spots for picnics, swimming and fishing once again.
Find out what’s happening in your catchment :
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