Aropaoanui River

The Aropaoanui and Waikare Rivers are run-off fed systems with moderate water velocities that are usually dominated by a cobble/gravel bottom substrate. Both rivers contain periphyton growth with aquatic macrophytes occasionally appearing at the edges during low flow periods. Landuse in these catchments is predominantly sheep and beef farming.

The Aropaoanui and Waikari catchments are characterised by having extensive pastoral farming, with riparian margins predominated by pastoral grasses and weeds that are grazed to the stream edge and patchy trees that offer some shading.

The Aropaoanui and Waikari catchments support many native fish species including longfin eel, shortfin eel, koura (freshwater crayfish), inanga, torrent fish, blue gill bully, and common bully. The Aropaoanui River also supports the redfin bully, banded kokopu and patiki (black flounder), and the Waikari River also supports giant bully, yellow eyed mullet, and estuarine triple fin. Both catchments support an average stock of rainbow trout and, while not considered a regionally significant fishery, they are assessed against criteria for ‘fisheries of lesser significance’. These catchments do have value as an eel fishery.