Resources

Christchurch City Council – Waterway monitoring 
Learn how Christchurch monitors waterway health. This page explains methods, data, and why monitoring matters, helping partners, schools and communities connect science to real-world freshwater management and care for local streams. 

Community Waterways Partnership – Water quality monitoring kits
The CWP has NIWA’s Stream Health Monitoring and Assessment Kits (SHAMK) available for partners and schools to use. These include equipment to measure stream clarity, pH, conductivity, and more, as well as tools for invertebrate identification.

Environment Canterbury – Water quality monitoring kits  
Check your local stream’s health with Environment Canterbury’s free access to Stream Health Monitoring and Assessment Kits (SHMAK). Easy-to-use tools help communities monitor water quality and support restoration.

NIWA – Stream health monitoring and assessment kit 
NIWA offers printable resources on taonga species in NZ waterways- a great educational resource. In Christchurch, you might find īnanga (whitebait), kākahi (mussel), kēkēwai (freshwater crayfish), tuna (eel, pātiki (flounder), pōrohe (smelt), and kanakana (lamprey)

NZ Landcare Trust
Explore Landcare’s freshwater resources; guides, tools, tips, and community projects focused on protecting and restoring streams, rivers and wetlands.  

Science Learning Hub-Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao – Water quality monitoring  
Explore water quality monitoring with Science Learning Hub- learn key indicators, methods, and why monitoring matters for freshwater health and management. 

Streamed – Community-sourced NZ freshwater data 
Streamed is an online water clarity monitoring tool to store and display data collected by members of the community. Streamed provides communities with a greater awareness and evidence–based understanding of their local freshwater environments. 

Community Waterways Partnership Contestable Fund
Available every August, the CWP fund encourages collaborative/community-scale initiatives that help meet the goals of the charter and improve and protect our urban waterways.

External funding [PDF, 111 KB]
There are a number of local and national funding opportunities provided by agencies and businesses that may be able to assist Community Waterways Partnership members with projects, research and events.

Three Waters Asset Map
Christchurch City Council’s Three Waters Asset Map shows the city’s extensive stormwater network and how it interacts with waterways.

Wai map
Check recent results and historic data on the Wai map – a waterways assessment index for Christchurch and Banks Peninsula.

EOS Ecology- Free freshwater health infographics 
Download free freshwater health infographics from EOS Ecology. Visual guides to stream monitoring, water quality, and ecosystem health for education and community projects 
 
NIWA Taonga Species Series 
NIWA offers printable resources on taonga species in NZ waterways- a great educational resource. In Christchurch, you might find īnanga (whitebait), kākahi (mussel), kōura (crayfish), tuna (eel, pātiki (flounder), pōrohe (smelt), and piharau (lamprey).

Pick Up 5 
The Pick Up 5 challenge is all about picking up five pieces of litter each time you’re outside to stop litter from entering our waterways. The digital and downloadable resources can be used by anyone.   

Stormwater Superhero Trailer 
The trailer is a mobile and interactive resource designed to educate children and the community about stormwater and ways to reduce pollution of our waterways. It is part-funded by the CWP and can be booked for events. 

Comprehensive Stormwater Network Discharge Consent (CSNDC)
The CSNDC, held by Christchurch City Council with Environment Canterbury, allows for the discharge of stormwater from the city’s networks to be discharged into waterways, with a strong focus on improving water quality.

Essential Freshwater: Overview factsheet
Essential Freshwater sets a national direction to protect rivers, lakes, streams, and wetlands. It includes freshwater standards, stock exclusion rules, and the policy statement for freshwater management.

Local Water Done Well
Details of the current government’s new drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater policy.

Ōtautahi-Christchurch Stormwater Story
This resource unpacks the Comprehensive Stormwater Network Discharge Content in an easy-to-follow story-like format, helping explain how stormwater is managed in Christchurch.

Stormwater management plans
Christchurch City Council develops Stormwater Management Plans (SMPs) for major catchments to meet water quality targets, manage flooding, and protect cultural values – ensuring new and existing discharges don’t harm our waterways.

Te Wai Ora o Tāne Integrated Water Strategy
Christchurch City Council’s strategy for Ōtautahi-Christchurch and Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū-Banks Peninsula addresses eleven key strategic issues, including stormwater management and improving water quality and waterway health.

Waterways, Wetlands and Drainage Guide
This guide should be consulted for work in and around waterways, wetlands and drains. It encourages people to work with, not against, natural features and processes.

Water quality report cards 
This guide provides understanding about waterways, wetlands and drainage in Christchurch, and how to work with natural features and processes in the landscape. It focuses on good management through restoration and protection. 

Christchurch City and lowland Canterbury streamside planting 
The Streamside Planting Guide helps schools and communities restore waterways with native plants. It explains what to plant, where, and how to support biodiversity, erosion control, and long-term waterway health.  
 
Christchurch ecosystems interactive map 
Explore Christchurch’s ecosystems with this interactive map. Discover native habitats, waterways, and biodiversity hotspots, in one easy-to-use tool for conservation. 

iNaturalist 
Use iNaturalist to record plants and wildlife along riparian zones near waterways. Your observations help track biodiversity and support restoration efforts in Christchurch and Banks Peninsula. 
 
Science Learning Hub – Planting stream edges
Learn how planting stream edges improves water quality and biodiversity. Explore practical tips and benefits for riparian planting to restore healthy freshwater ecosystems.

Awhi Awa/Embrace a Stream
Awhi Awa empowers communities to adopt and restore local streams. Access practical guides, tools, and support to improve freshwater health and protect ecosystems.

Christchurch City Council – River catchment vision and values
Learn about Christchurch’s River catchment vision and values. Explore community priorities for healthy waterways and how they guide restoration and future planning

Department of Conservation – Freshwater
Discover New Zealand’s freshwater habitats with DOC. Learn about rivers and wetlands, and species that depend on them, and explore restoration programmes and tools to help protect these vital ecosystems.

Environment Canterbury – Stormwater
ECan’s stormwater webpage teaches us about contamination of stormwater, who manages our stormwater, and how to protect our waterways.

Land Air Water Aotearoa (LAWA)
Discover water quality and environmental data for Christchurch on LAWA, plus actions for healthy waterways, estuary health, land cover, and water quantity. Explore river health, trends, and insights to support informed decisions for our waterways.

Ministry for the Environment –  Freshwater
Explore New Zealand’s freshwater resources and rivers. Find policies, reports, and guidance on protecting and restoring water quality across our waterways.

NIWA – Earth Sciences New Zealand
NIWA delivers science to understand and protect New Zealand’s environment. Explore research and guides on freshwater quality and restoration, plus freshwater fish and invertebrates, including ecological monitoring.

Resilient Rivers Communities – Webinar library
Catch up on Resilient Rivers webinars anytime. Explore expert insights on river health, restoration, and community action through our recorded sessions.

The Waterways Centre
The Waterways Centre for Freshwater Management is a research and education hub focused on improving freshwater health. It connects science, communities, and policy to support sustainable water management and learning opportunities. 

Christchurch City Council – Learning Through Action 
Learning Through Action offers free, curriculum-linked experiences for schools, bringing environmental education to life, such as freshwater and wetland programmes through hands-on activities and fun games.

Climate Action Campus – Waterways education 
Climate Action Campus connects students with local waterways through hands-on learning at the Ōtākaro, exploring river health, biodiversity, and kaitiakitanga, guided by mātauranga Māori. Activities include carving, weaving, kayaking, waka ama, and ecological action. 

Community Waterways Partnership (CWP)- Schools
Schools in the partnership build lasting ties to local waterways. The CWP connects schools with waterways education providers, resources, and supports real-life action-planting, monitoring, clean-ups, and advocacy. Contact us for more information.
 
Environment Canterbury – Waitaha Wai NZ curriculum programme 
Waitaha Wai educates young people and communities about the importance of water and healthy waterways. Students explore stream life through hands-on water monitoring, discovering macroinvertebrates and what makes a stream thrive. 

EnviroSchools Canterbury – Waterways education and action 
EnviroSchools helps schools and early childhood centres explore, protect, and restore local waterways through hands-on, student-led projects, building practical skills and ecological understanding while improving freshwater health.

Nature Agents – Ngā Kaitaunaki Taiao 
Nature Agents is a hands-on citizen science programme for primary schools. Students investigate ecosystems, collect real biodiversity and waterway data, and take action to protect nature while learning practical science skills. 

Styx Living Laboratory Trust – Education and service days
The Styx Living Laboratory Trust offers free education and service days for school children of all ages (ECE through Year 13). Join the SLLT team for a planting day, track clearing session, river clean up day, or book a field trip for geography students (high school age only).
 
Te Tuna Tāone 
An action-learning programme for primary schools, empowering students to become kaitiaki and take practical action to protect and enhance the longfin tuna/eel, a treasured taonga species. 

Science Learning Hub-Freshwater
Discover NZ’s freshwater ecosystems. Explore resources on rivers, lakes, wetlands, and water quality-ideal for teaching science concepts, sustainability, and kaitiakitanga in real-world contexts.

Take action for water- Greater Wellington
Take Action for Water is all about learning, exploring, and protecting freshwater in your region. Access resources, activities, and projects that empower communities to care for rivers and streams. 

Wai Care-together for healthy waterways 
Access Wai Care’s teaching resources to inspire freshwater learning. Find lesson plans, activities, and tools to help students understand and protect streams and rivers.

Wet feet-Investing freshwater – Department of Conservation
Wet Feet is a hands-on education resource from DOC that helps students explore freshwater ecosystems. Learn about stream life, water quality, and how to protect our waterways through fun activities and investigations.