Ways to improve stream water quality

By conserving and rejuvenating natural habitats, we can improve the quality of water in our streams.

There are many steps we can take to improve the water quality of our streams, such as:

• control farm contaminants by applying mitigation tools
• plant trees on hills and near streams to reduce land run-off
• remove or mitigate possible limiting factors, which will prevent natural recovery of the area in the short and long term e.g. point source discharges or farm effluent
• manage stock more efficiently e.g. by fencing off streams and waterways to reduce direct water contamination
• take care when applying fertilisers and pesticides
• be aware of water table depth and avoid overusing water in dry seasons
• retire land from unsuitable uses or change land uses (e.g. pasture to forest)
• careful planning of urban growth and subdivisions so that they have minimal impact on neighbouring waterways
• continued control or removal of invasive species or pests.