Appendix 4: Description of Stream Habitats Boffa Miskell Ltd | Waihi North Project: Freshwater Ecological Assessment | Figure 4-1. Mataura Stream reach flowing adjacent to the proposed works site. Unnamed Tributary 2 The unnamed tributary 2 also arises from springs from two different arms within the upper reaches. At the time of the site visit, a trickle of water was flowing from the southern arm while the northern arm was dry (although a channel was present). The watercourse flowed at the base of a mostly steeply incised gully, with occasional areas of reduced gradient, including immediately upstream of the vehicle crossing. There is an additional side branch that feeds into the main stem. The stream consisted of both hard-bottom and soft-bottom reaches with obvious fine sediment loading in places. Hard-bottom reaches consisted of gravels, cobbles, boulders and bedrock. Several culverts were located along the tributary for stock crossings as well as a vehicle crossing towards the downstream extent of the reach. There was a perched culvert immediately downstream of the vehicle crossing, although this site also consisted of a steep drop off. The perched culvert and steep drop are likely to form a barrier to fish passage upstream. Stream width (wetted width) varied from less than 0.2 to over 1 m with water depth typically less than 0.2 m, although there were occasional pools within the lower reaches that were greater than 0.5 m deep. Instream habitat quality and quantity was moderate, with diverse habitat types present across the extent of the watercourse. However, there were several reaches where instream habitat was less diverse. Habitats included diverse hydraulic components consisting mostly of riffle and run habitat and to lesser extents pools and occasional waterfalls. Undercut banks were common as well as overhanging / encroaching riparian vegetation and root mats from mostly low stature riparian vegetation. Macrophytes were also present in slower flowing and more open reaches and along the stream edge. Macrophytes included willow weed, Glyceria sp. and mercer grass (Paspalum distichum). The watercourse was not fenced off from stock with pugging and bank slumping. There were some reaches that stock were not able to access due to the steepness of the banks. Riparian vegetation consisted largely of grazed pasture (and other low stature vegetation), although there were
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