Estuaries

The Southland Region includes numerous estuaries. Most of these estuaries are of exceptional world value from the fjords on the western coast, through to shallow, well-flushed, sand-dominated estuaries on the southern coast. Environment Southland has established a long-term estuary monitoring programme beginning in 2001 to assess the condition of key estuaries in the region. The six Southland estuaries that are currently being monitored on a long-term basis are Koreti/Waihopai (New River), Aparima (Jacobs River), Toetoe (Fortrose), Waikawa, Freshwater (Stewart Island) and Haldane Estuaries. Estuaries provide critical habitat for a wide range of species including macrofauna, wading birds and fish. More than 50% of Southland’s population now lives in coastal areas bordering estuaries. As the population in Southland grows and land use practices change and intensify, the pressures on these natural estuary resources increase. So too does the importance of protecting these resources for all their natural, cultural, economic, and aesthetic values. Environment Southland, through its approach of inclusive, community-based planning and action at a catchment level, plays a primary role in monitoring, protecting and restoring Southland’s estuaries.