Appendix 4: Description of Stream Habitats Boffa Miskell Ltd | Waihi North Project: Freshwater Ecological Assessment | Site WKP-3 (facing upstream) Site WKP-2 (facing downstream) Figure 4-0. Wharekirauponga Survey sites T-Stream West; T-Stream East; WKP-3; and WKP-2, January and February 2019.. Mataura Stream The assessed reach of Mataura Stream (adjacent to the proposed works site) followed a natural flowpath at the base of a large gully system with gully sides that varied from steep to flat flood plains (Figure 1). The hard-bottom stream bed predominantly consisted of gravels, cobbles and boulders with occasional areas of silt and sand in less exposed sites where flow velocities were reduced (i.e. stream edges). Stream width (wetted width) varied between 5 to 8 m, with water depth typically varying between 0.3 m to over 1 m. Although we note that stream flows were likely to have been high due to the time of year the assessment was conducted. Instream habitat quality and quantity was high with diverse hydraulic components consisting mostly of run and riffle habitat as well as varying sized pools. Undercut banks were also common as well as overhanging / encroaching riparian vegetation. There was evidence of occasional recent erosion along both banks with small slips and bank slumping. Riparian margins had been fenced off on both banks with a buffer zone of approximately 5m. Riparian vegetation consisted mostly of rank pasture and low stature species such as blackberry, pampas, bracken fern, karamu, tutu and wineberry. There were also several large pine trees. Pockets of taller riparian vegetation were present upstream and downstream of the assessed reach. Pasture species were present beyond the riparian margin. There was no macrophytes or algae growing within the assessed reach (we note that this is likely to be minimal anyway due to the time of year the fieldwork was completed). There was evidence of recent flood flows with flattened vegetation within the riparian margins.
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