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Freshwater | Rivers, lakes & wetlands

Freshwater is fundamental to the health and wellbeing of our environment and communities. Our streams, rivers, wetlands, springs and groundwater support native species, supply drinking water, provide places to swim and explore, and carry deep cultural significance.

Healthy freshwater ecosystems also improve resilience to floods and droughts, filter pollutants, and connect mountains to the sea (ki uta ki tai).

Looking after freshwater means protecting people, nature, and the places we value, now and for future generations.

Roding River

Freshwater In Nelson

Nelson’s freshwater network includes urban and rural rivers and streams, unmodified streams and tributaries, artificial lakes and reservoirs, springs, groundwater and remnant wetlands, these flow into estuaries and out to the coast. Together, they support habitats for native fish, freshwater invertebrates, birds, and riparian plant communities.

Nelson's waterways are divided into catchments. A catchment is the area of land where rainwater drains into a particular river, stream, or estuary. What happens on land, from land use to stormwater, affects water quality, ecosystem health, and flooding downstream.

Freshwater Focus Areas

Caring for freshwater involves understanding how waterways function, tracking changes over time, restoring habitats, and working with communities and landowners to reduce pressures at their source.

Explore the key parts of our freshwater work by selecting a topic below.

Managing Freshwater in Nelson

Nelson has around 42,000 hectares of land and more than 580 kilometres of streams flowing from the back country into Tasman Bay. What happens on the land, in urban areas, rural catchments, and hill country, can directly affect the health of our rivers, streams, estuaries, and coastal waters.

To manage freshwater effectively, the region is divided into five Freshwater Management Units (FMUs). FMUs provide a framework for understanding freshwater values, pressures, and outcomes across different parts of the region, and are used to organise monitoring, reporting, and freshwater programmes.

The five FMUs in the Nelson region are:

  • Wakapuaka
  • Whangamoa
  • Maitai
  • Stoke (urban streams)
  • Roding

Freshwater data, monitoring results, and programmes such as Healthy Streams are assessed and reported within this FMU framework, recognising that each area has different characteristics and management needs.

Freshwater Management Units (FMUs)

Planning for Freshwater Nationally and in Nelson

The National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) requires local authorities to safeguard freshwater ecosystems by sustainably managing freshwater quality and the use of water.

Nelson City Council is required under the NPS-FM to have a Progressive Implementation Programme (PIP). The programme includes a summary of actions and deadlines for NPS-FM implementation.

Council is implementing the NPS-FM through the development of the freshwater section of theNelson Resource Management Plan, the objectives, policies, and methods are in Chapter 5, District Wide Objectives (DO17 to DO20) and the Freshwater rules are in Appendix 29. These sets the framework for protecting and improving rivers, streams, wetlands, and estuaries.

A key objective being to manage the negative impacts of human activities on freshwater environments, while also providing for the sustainable use and development of freshwater. This approach recognises the importance of freshwater for ecosystems, communities, cultural values, and economic wellbeing.

For information on matters covered in the Nelson Resource Management Plan, you can email the Planning Adviser or phone +64 3 546 0200.

Anyone unsure about whether they require a consent for an activity affecting the freshwater environment can call the duty planning line on +64 3 546 0357.

The Council provides support for people in rural areas who wish to re-vegetate and fence river margins. If anyone would like to discuss how the Council can assist with these types of projects, please contact the Land Management Adviser nelson.nature@ncc.govt.nz

Threats to Freshwater

  • Sediment from erosion and earthworks reduces clarity and harms habitat
  • Urban runoff / stormwater can carry contaminants into streams
  • Nutrient enrichment (nitrogen, phosphorus) can drive algal growth
  • Pollution events (e.g., spills, illegal discharges) stress ecosystems
  • Stock access to waterways (in rural contexts) damages banks and water quality
  • Wetland loss reduces filtering, habitat, and flood storage
  • Low flows and water takes can stress aquatic life
  • Climate change increases flood/drought extremes and raises temperatures
  • Fish passage barriers block native fish from reaching key habitats

Land Use Change and Sources of Pollutants to Freshwater

What We're Doing

Council works with iwi, landowners, agencies, and community groups to protect and restore freshwater. Our ongoing work includes:

BioBlitz 2025 - Maitai River - NCC team e-fishing to monitor fish populations. Photo: Simon Zenzen.

Major Freshwater Improvements Programmes

What You Can Do

Practical actions make a real difference:

  • Keep contaminants out of stormwater - only rain down the drain [link]
  • Plant natives along stream edges (riparian planting) [link]
  • Avoid dumping green waste in or near waterways
  • Reduce sediment - stabilise bare soil, manage runoff
  • Use eco‑friendly products and dispose of chemicals safely
  • Clean gear between waterways to prevent freshwater pests
  • Join a local group or community planting day - link
  • Record species on iNaturalist
  • Report pollution or sediment discharges to Council 0800 NO POLLUTE

See What You Can Do for our environment

Watch: Healthy Streams Start at Home

A few simple things you can do at home to keep chemicals and other nasties out of our waterways.

Resources & Useful Links

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