Our waterways, wetlands, rivers, and streams are among Aotearoa New Zealand’s most precious natural assets. They are under increasing pressure from population growth and from urban and rural development. Across the country, a collective effort is underway to restore and protect these vital systems, improving water quality, supporting biodiversity, and helping them thrive once more.
At Kūmānu, we are proud to contribute to this national movement. With deep expertise in the design and delivery of waterway enhancement projects, we work to reconnect and revitalise waterways throughout Te Tau Ihu and beyond. Our projects create lasting environmental benefits that protect ecosystems, strengthen communities, and safeguard our natural heritage for future generations.
How we can help
We are here to support your waterway enhancement efforts by designing and delivering projects to improve water quality and biodiversity, safeguarding these precious natural assets for the generations to come.
Wetlands are among Aotearoa’s most valuable ecosystems, supporting biodiversity, improving water quality, and storing carbon. Accurately identifying their boundaries is vital for sustainable land and water management. Our wetland assessment services follow the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) Wetland Delineation Protocols, (2020) ensuring assessments meet national best-practice standards.
Through detailed field investigations, vegetation and soil analysis, hydrological indicators, and GIS mapping, we define the presence and extent of wetlands. Our clear, defensible reporting supports consent applications, planning, and restoration. By combining MfE protocols with local ecological expertise, we help clients protect freshwater ecosystems while enabling responsible land use.
In Aotearoa New Zealand, many native fish species rely on migrating between freshwater and the sea to complete their life cycles. Poorly designed or maintained instream structures, such as culverts, weirs, and dams, can obstruct these migrations, threaten populations and disrupt habitat connectivity. Kūmānu’s fish passage team specialises in assessing and remediating such barriers to restore natural fish movement. Working collaboratively with councils, iwi, and landowners, we deliver sustainable, nationally aligned solutions that reconnect waterways, enhance freshwater biodiversity, and support the long-term health of our aquatic ecosystems across Aotearoa.
