We monitor and maintain 59 river and drainage schemes across Waitaha/Canterbury to help protect people and property from flooding.
Within these schemes, we build and maintain flood protection infrastructure such as stopbanks, gravel and rock groynes, floodgates, culverts, weirs, and drains, and undertake region-wide planting, with the total assets valued at $850 million (2023). The weed control work across Waitaha provides another layer of resilience for these assets.
We facilitate gravel extraction and provide technical advice on gravel availability across Waitaha and manually open some lakes and river mouths to manage water levels and provide connectivity to the sea for migratory fish.
Learn more about flood protection infrastructure
Opening Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere
Find out how and why we mechanically open Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere.
Stopbanks
Find out more about the importance of well structured and maintained stopbanks.
Drain maintenance
Prevention is better than cure. Keep stock clear and learn how to maintain your drains.
Weed control
Find out how and why we control weeds to protect our rivers.
River-based gravel extraction
River-based gravel provides aggregate for commercial or private use. Extraction offers a cost-effective method of managing flooding and erosion hazards.