Win Valley locals monitoring the stream they live by
On November 13th, Winnie Long and Debbie Win, Chair of the MCC Steering Group, headed out on a lovely sunny, warm day for their fourth visit to measure the health of the Win Valley Stream which runs through both of their properties near Dovedale. Debbie bought along her granddaughter Juna this time, who she was looking after.
Debbie and Winnie both attended a SHMAK (Stream Health Monitoring Assessment Kit) training course, facilitated by Tasman Bay Guardians (TBG), and have now set up a monthly monitoring practice, with the help of Kate Radloff of TBG.
Each time they go out, they measure three spots along the stream, and it takes about an hour per spot. The first on Debbie’s property reasonably near the head waters of the stream, one spot alongside Winnie’s property, and a third spot at the confluence of the stream with the Dove River. This helps give a picture of whether there are any differences along the course of the stream as it makes its way down to the Dove River.
SHMAK testing measures stream health which is summed up as:
“the condition (or state) of the whole stream ecosystem, including water quality, physical features of the stream and its banks, and the plants and animals living there. It also includes aspects that affect human health, safety and enjoyment.”
The SHMAK kit includes tools and equipment to measure:
- It’s depth, width, and flow rate
- It’s clarity and temperature
- The river environment – including smells, bank condition, and stream bed composition
- Nitrogen and phosphate levels
- E-coli
- Macroinvertebrates
Kate has come along to help Winnie and Debbie each time and will continue to do so until they become self-sufficient and can go on their own, or with other community members. Kate says the pair are doing well:
“They’ve got the hang of most of the measurements and just need a bit of guidance from time to time to make sure the readings they’re getting are as accurate as possible.”
Winnie is enjoying being involved in assessing the health of the stream she lives by and says:
“If I can do it, so can others in our community. It takes a little while to sort out how to use the equipment, but we’re underway now and the training really helped. It’s also invaluable to have Kate come along for our first few times. I find it comforting and satisfying to know the health of the stream I live by. Every time I come I notice something different and it helps you to think about what you can do to look after this precious waterway.”