Freshwater monitoring and reporting
DOC monitors and reports on what lives in our wetlands, rivers and lakes.

Sampling methods

Our Biodiversity Inventory and Monitoring Toolbox has detailed standardised methods and provides decision support trees for sampling freshwater fish and some aspects of freshwater ecology.

We recommend you use this standard inventory and management plan (Word, 447K) to help plan your monitoring project.

National monitoring programme

As part of our national Biodiversity Monitoring and Reporting System, we have started developing a national scale (Tier One) wetland, river and lake biodiversity monitoring programme. 

A comprehensive review of what wetland, river and lake biodiversity monitoring we could undertake is in this 2013 scoping report: Development of a DOC freshwater tier 1 biodiversity monitoring programme (PDF, 2.070)

Arawai Kākāriki restoration programme

The Arawai Kākāriki restoration programme manages wetland, river and lake sites. The programme is also comprehensively monitoring and reporting, to track progress in freshwater ecosystem management.