How healthy is the awa?
Awa, or rivers, are the arteries of the landscape in Aotearoa New Zealand. In the Horizons Region, many communities have grown alongside them. But how do we know if they are...
Read more
What does the science tell us about our freshwater?
Horizons Regional Council collects environmental data and initiates research that informs decision making around policy and regulation to ensure that we all manage our activities in a sustainable way.
We work closely with independent science providers to conduct and share research. We also strive to make reliable information available, for the wider benefit of the community.
In this section, you can dive into the science that examines the challenges, pressures (and opportunities) facing freshwater in the Horizons Region.
This information, together with knowledge from tangata whenua, and our community and stakeholders will inform decision making for Oranga Wai | Our Freshwater Future. Find out more about our engagement approach in the Have your say section of this website.
We all have a responsibility to ensure the life-giving capacity of freshwater is sustained and safeguarded for future generations. Explore the science in your local Freshwater Management Unit below.
Learn about the science in your FMU and find out about the current state of its freshwater
Note for Whanganui and Whangaehu: We are working collaboratively with Post Settlement Governance Entities in the region for river Treaty settlements to ensure our work supports the objectives of the strategies being developed under Te Awa Tupua for the Whanganui River and provided for under Te Waiū-o-Te-Ika for the Whangaehu River.
It is acknowledged that our approach to implementing the NPS-FM in the Whanganui and Whangaehu River catchments needs to support the river settlement legislative processes and the outcomes sought in the resulting strategies. Head to the Have your say section for more information on our engagement approach.
Recent articles
World Wetland Day: Do you know a swamp from a dune slack?
Dune slacks, ephemeral, seepages, swamps, tarns and frost hollows? No, these aren’t place names from a sci-fi fantasy movie but types of wetland.
...Read more
Clean and Clear: What washes up in the water?
Ever notice what your local river looks like after it has been raining? An increase in water levels and flow are often obvious, however, sometimes that is not the only change....
Read more
DNA techniques reveal the full spectrum of river life
The water, banks and trees in our region are home to many plants, animals and life that you can (or sometimes can't) see around you.
Read more
Te Awa Tupua
The Whanganui River is subject to Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Act 2017. A whole of river strategy, Te Heke Ngahuru, is being developed by Te Kōpuka, a representative strategy development group. It is intended that the new Freshwater Regional Plan is a contributor to the achievement of the objectives of Te Heke Ngahuru.
Te Waiū-o-Te-Ika
The Whangaehu River is subject to the Ngāti Rangi Claims Settlement Act 2019, which has established the Te Waiū-o-Te-Ika framework for the catchment.