New Zealand Stories - Canterbury - A Collection of Photos Capturing Kiwi Culture by Murray Hedwig and Anita Peters

Canterbury

The rivers of the South Island’s East Coast flow from the Southern Alps down across the alluvial plains of Canterbury. Man-made changes in this region have begun to threaten the spawning patterns of whitebait and other vulnerable species due to damage of their habitat within the landscapes and waterways of the plains. Industrial and agricultural pollution from intensive farming has changed the quality of the water. Hydro schemes, dams and extraction for irrigation reduce flow and interfere with natural floods needed within braided river ecosystems.