A catchment, or whaitua, is an area of land where rain flows into a common river, lake or other body of water. A healthy water catchment supports swimming, fishing, and local ecosystems.
Local community involvement is one of the keys to the long-term health of water in a catchment, so plants, animals, fish and insects that depend on having healthy water can thrive and flourish.
If there's no existing group supporting your catchment, it's possible to start one yourself, and there are plenty of resources to help. The best way to improve water quality in your catchment is to get everyone who lives along it together, identify problems and come up with collective solutions.
This webpage provides helpful links for joining or starting a catchment group, some tips, and recommendations for measuring your progress and engaging with your regional authority.
Funding
Funded by the New Zealand Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment's Our Land and Water National Science Challenge (Toitū te Whenua, Toiora te Wai)