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Alert

Consultation open on new Community Hub, Library & Civic Space location

Elma Turner Library and Civic House are near the end of their useful lives. If we don't act now, Nelson risks losing spaces our community depends on. This is not just a problem to fix. It is a chance to build something better. Help us understand which option works best for our community.

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Urban Catchments

Urban catchments are areas where rivers and streams flow through towns, suburbs, roads, and parks before reaching estuaries and the coast. In these catchments, waterways are closely connected to the built environment, including stormwater systems and hard surfaces.

Even small urban streams influence downstream water quality and ecosystem health.

Urban Catchments in Nelson

Nelson City contains a number of urban and peri‑urban catchments where waterways flow through residential neighbourhoods and commercial areas.

Catchments:

  • Hillwood stream
  • Todd Valley stream
  • Oldham creek
  • Lower Maitai river
  • Lower Brook stream
  • York stream
  • Poorman's stream

Many of these waterways have been modified over time through channel changes, culverts, or stormwater infrastructure, but they continue to provide important ecological, cultural, and recreational values.

World Rivers Day on the Maitai - September 2024

Learn more about some of our Urban Catchments

Watch: Brook Stream

Watch: Maitai River

Watch: York Stream

Explore: Poorman Valley Story Map

Explore: Project Mahitahi Story Map

How Urban Areas Affect Waterways

In urban catchments, rainfall runs quickly over hard surfaces and enters waterways through stormwater drains. This can affect both water quality and water quantity.

Common influences include:

  • stormwater runoff carrying sediment, metals, nutrients, litter, and oils
  • rapid increases in flow during rain events
  • reduced natural filtering due to impervious surfaces
  • culverts, pipes, and channel modifications

Because water travels quickly, activities in urban areas can have immediate downstream effects.

What We're Doing

Council supports urban catchment health through:

Todds Valley Stream Planting

What You Can Do

Urban catchments offer strong opportunities for local action. Communities can help by:

Everyday actions add up to healthier waterways.

Check out our What Can I do page for ways to help the environment

Nelson City Council Maitai BioBlitz event - identifying critters found in the Maitai river which can help give you an idea of the health of the river.

Resources & Useful links

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