Appendix 2: Recording form used to assess sites in the Tukituki ctchment
Cultural health of streams assessment
Site No:
Date:
Observer No:
| Indicators | Unhealthy | Healthy | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Catchment land use | 1. Land heavily modified Wetlands, marshes lost |
2 | 3 | 4 | 5 Appears unmodified |
| 2. Riverbank condition | 1 Banks eroding | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 Banks appear stable |
| 3. Vegetation – banks & margins (100m either side) |
1 Little or no vegetation | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 Complete cover of Vegetation |
| 4. Indigenous (native) species - margins & upstream catchment | 1 Margins heavily modified | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 Margins unmodified |
| 5. Use of the river banks + margins (100m either side) | 1 Margins heavily modified | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 Margins unmodified |
| 6. Riverbed condition (sediment) | 1 Covered by mud/sand, slime, weed | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 Appears unmodified |
| 7. Changes to river channel | 1 Evidence of modification eg stopbanks, straightening, gravel removal, shingle build up | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 Appears unmodified |
| 8. River flow | 1 Cannot see movement | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 Broken / white water |
| 9. Water quality | 1 Appears polluted eg foams, oils, slime, weeds etc | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 No pollution evident |
| 10. Water Clarity | 1 Water badly discoloured | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 Water is clear |
| 11. Use of the river | 1 Major takes/discharges | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 No takes or discharges |
| 12 A variety of habitats | 1 No variety in habitat flow and habitat uniform | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 A range of habitats present - channel winding, flows from smooth to broken white water |
| 13. How safe would you feel tasting the water at this site? | 1 Completely unsafe | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 Completely safe |
| 14. How safe would you feel swimming at this site? | 1 Completely unsafe | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 Completely safe |
| Please explain your answer | |||||
| 15. How would you feel about fishing at this site? | 1 I would not fish here | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 This is a great place to fish |
| Please explain your answer | |||||
| 16 How safe would you feel eating fish caught at this site? | 1 Completely unsafe | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 Completely safe |
| 17. When you look at this site, do you see the necessary food sources to support the life in and around the river? | 1 No food sources present | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 Abundant food source |
| Please explain your answer | |||||
| 18 How would you describe the overall health of the river at this site? | 1 Very unhealthy | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 Very healthy |
| Please explain your answer | |||||
Birds
Please list the mahinga kai bird species that you can see at this site:
1. _______________________
2. _______________________
3. _______________________
4. _______________________
5. _______________________
6. _______________________
7. _______________________
8. _______________________
9. _______________________
Plants
Please list the mahinga kai plant species that you can see at this site.
1. _______________________
2. _______________________
3. _______________________
4. _______________________
5. _______________________
6. _______________________
7. _______________________
8. _______________________
9. _______________________
Access
| Do you consider access to this site is sufficient to harvest mahinga kai? | 1. Not able to gather at this site | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5. Able to gather - no restrictions |
| Please explain your answer | |||||
| Would you return to this site in the future? | 1. Yes | 5. No | |||
Final comments
What other indicators do you use to assess the health of the Tukituki that are not listed above?
__________________________________________________
What characteristics of this site should be protected?
__________________________________________________
What characteristics of this site should be enhanced?
__________________________________________________
