Project Twin Streams 3 Year Management Plan
Henderson Creek
Site location / Epping ReserveReach & Chainage / Reach 6 Ch 310-800
Estimate Area (m2) / 9000 m2
Description of vegetation
Ch 280-310
Mostly exotic species exist behind the residential houses on the stream bank. Black Wattles are beginning to form a dense forest. With a fringe of pampas, bamboo and buffalo grass. Several tall pines have a few mapou, coprosmas and karo seeding naturally beneath their canopy. A clump of semi treated bamboo is making a come back on the point. An old totara is the only native tree specie on site.
Ch 310-400
This is an area of mown grassland alongthe creek margin with a few local stands of either oak or pine. A small tributary joins the creek at Ch 310
Ch 400-450
Black Wattle forest up to 6m tall maintains a semi closed canopywith relatively no understorey.
Ch 450-600
This is an extensive patch of salt marsh dominated by oi oi. It is interspersed with locally abundantsea rush, common Baumea juncea and scattered patches of giant
Umbrella sedge. It is relatively weed free.
The edges of the oioi salt marsh have had some vegetation reinstated. It is fairly young but healthy predominantly nurse vegetation consisting of mainlyManuka and coprosma with umbrella grass, cabbage trees and toe toe on the marsh edge.
The southern end of the oioi salt marsh and thethin stretch of land between the river and the marshland is mostly weed field and rough grassland with some native carexes, flax and cabbage trees.
Ch 600-700
A long length of weed field, rough grassland and some mown Kikuya lawn runs adjacent to native scrub planted in a band along the stream edge. Kanuka forms a patchy canopy, interspersed with cabbage trees, ponga, karamu and mapou and several species of invasive weed including pampas, black wattle, gorse, woolly nightshade, Tradescantia and Japanese honeysuckle grows. Local thickets of Elaeagnus can also be found along the stream edge.
Method of Restoration
Ch 280-310
Pines shall remain and under planted. Wattles to be felled or ring barked. Bamboo to be eradicated. Sites required dense planting.
Ch 400-450
The Wattles are providing shade and bank stability in the meantime. Thus they will be removed once native species have been planted and established beneath them. This may take 3-4 years after initial planting of natives. Once natives have grown to form their own canopy the wattles should be drilled and injected or cut and pasted.
Ch 450-600
Wetland habitats are nationally rare, with as little as 10 %remaining relative to their former (pre-European) extent due to drainageand land reclamation. Hence the protection and enhancement of the wetland area is a priority.The wetland itself is weedfree so restoration andmaintenance will be carried out to achieve a healthy, intact; weed free vegetation buffer zone surrounding the wetland.
- Hand release of native plants and grasses
- Eradicate invasive weeds
- Revegetate with appropriate ecosourced species.
- Carry out ongoing maintenance until natives are well established and self sustaining
- Infill planting if required over the following year to replace any loses.
The riparian margin has been extended and planted with predominantly Manuka and coprosma in 2007. Recently the site has been interplanted with a range of natives to add biodiversity and facilitate quick canopy closure. The site will require ongoing maintenance until closure has been achieved along with infill planting.
Legal Responsibilities and special site conditions
Consents will be required for wattles that are over 6 meters and being removed.
Invasive Weed Species / Comments
Gorse
Convolvulus
Wooly nightshade
Pampas
Kikuya
Tradescantia
Eliagnus
Back Wattles
Management Plan
First Year2007
Riparian Coordinator: Millie Wells
Community Coordinator: Wendy Clair
Planned Activity / People involved / Observation/ resultsPlanting / Apr / Hand releasing and maintenance
Spot spraying / Corrections
Contractors
May
Jun / Hand releasing and maintenance
Spot spraying / Corrections
Contractors
July / Ch 310-360
Planting / Community Event / 1500 plants were planted
Aug / Hand releasing and maintenance / Corrections
Weeding / Sep / Infill planting with a range of native species at
Ch 600-700 / AOL / A total of 309 plants were added to the site consisting of 13 different species to add to the diversity of the site. An edge of Toe toe was planted along the outskirts of the planting to provide a buffer that prevents the surrounding Kikuya from entering the revegetation. 22/9/07
Oct / Ch 310- 360 / Carexes and astelias are struggling against the introduced grasses. Urgent maintenance is required.
Nov / Ch 310- 360release of native planting
3rd Nov
Mulch spreading at Ch 310- 360.
Set up photo points of the sites
16thHandreleasing Ch 600-700 / Contractors
AOL
Corrections / Contractors have hand released the plantings and taken grasses right down to earth in order to prepare for mulching.
Cancelled
Corrections were able to hand release half the site, slashing grasses down to earth. They left the wetland end not maintained. Grasses were waist high. Unfortunately with the use of machetes over 22 plants were found damaged, some cut right down to earth. Over winter 70 Toe toe were interplanted amongst native tree species of which most cannot be located.
Dec / 1ST & 8th
Mulch spreading at Ch 310- 360
16th
Hand releasing of native plantings at Ch 600-700
Initial weed control at Ch 700-800 / AOL
AOL
Contractors / Mulch was successfully spread at a optimal depth around 7-10 cm deep
Native carexes and astelias will now have less competition to establish.
All plants on site were hand released and other grasses left were flattened. Convolvulus and blackberry were hand pulled. No other invasive weeds were noted apart from Kikuyu.
Management Plan
Second Year 2008
Riparian Coordinator: Millie Wells
Community Coordinator: Wendy Clair
Planned Activity / People involved / Observation/ resultsWeeding / Jan / 27th Jan
Hand releasing of native plantings at with particular focus on convolvulus, montbretia and Kikuya around Ch 500-700 and Ch 310
Take photopoints of the sites
18TH Jan
Site prep at Ch 700-800 / AOL
Corrections / Kikuya proving difficult to keep at bay.
Feb / 15th Feb
Site prep at Ch 700-800
24th Feb
Hand releasing of native plantings at Ch 600-700and site preparation along wetland strip at Ch 450- 500.
Initial chemical control of grasses around wetland strip at Ch 450-500
Initial chemical control of convolvulus at Ch 380-400 / Corrections
AOL
Contractors / Tradescantia was racked up and organic waist pile dispersed onsite
Mar / 30th March
Hand releasing of native plantings at Ch 600-700and site preparation along wetland strip at Ch 450- 500.
Follow up of Chemical control of any sites for Ch 310-700
Take photopoints of the sites / Contractors
Corrections / Once the site was hand released contractors sprayed out kikuyu
Planting / Apr / 13th April / AOL
May / 11th May
Mulching and Planting
New sprayed out area and Under wattles at Ch 380-450 / AOL
Jun
July / AOL
Aug
Weeding / Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Management Plan
Third Year 2009
Being coordinated by:
Planned Activity / People involved / Observation/ resultsWeeding / Jan
Feb
Mar
Planting / Apr
May
Jun
July
Aug
Weeding / Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec