Author flood-proofs his stream

North Canterbury land-owner and children’s writer Anthony Holcroft knows a thing or 2 about streamside planting. For the last 40 years, he has been restoring a section of the Cam River/Ruataniwha that runs along his 6 hectare property boundary. He’s also been restoring a wetland and stream on land in the Oxford foothills.

Anthony wanted the bush to look like it had always been there, remembering a stand of riverside kahikatea from his childhood which formed a canopy above a dense understory of coprosma.

“Start off with a small patch so you can handle the maintenance,” he says.  “It is best to use plants grown from locally sourced seed. These are best suited to the local environment and most likely to survive.”

Anthony sources plants from a local nursery and also grows his own from seed collected on or near the property. After fencing stock out, Anthony planted hardy natives such as flax, cabbage trees and toitoi. Sedges (such as Carex secta) were planted close to the stream edge.

“I used to plant sedges at one metre intervals, but found the closer density half a metre made for quicker establishment of ground cover and less weeding later.”

Some exotics, like pampas and willow, were left initially to give shelter to other plants. Later, when his native plantings were established, he went back and planted species that require more shelter, like kahikatea and kowhai.

“Avoid planting flax on flood-prone banks,” he advises. “Flax can get pulled out along with parts of the bank during flooding and is better planted on the upper banks. Instead plant sedges, such as Carex secta, which bounce back after flooding. I find it best to plant riverside sedges later in the season in Oxford – October or November, to avoid spring flash floods.”

Want to read more about Anthony’s writing life?

Cam River and Tributaries Fund

The Cam River and Tributaries Fund is open to applicants wanting to protect and enhance the waterways and wetlands in North Canterbury’s Cam River/Ruataniwha catchment. The fund was created by the Waimakariri District Council, with the assistance of Fish and Game, DOC, runanga and Environment Canterbury, and has $150,000 available for private restoration efforts, such as fencing, getting rid of weeds and willows, planting natives and redeveloping wetland.

For information, contact the:
Cam River and Tributaries Fund,
c/- Murray Binnie,
Waimakariri District Council,
Private Bag 1005,
Rangiora 7440.