Freshwater Environmental

Freshwater Environmental Ltd. is a Nelson-based consultancy providing professional freshwater ecology services across Nelson/Tasman, Marlborough, the West Coast and Canterbury. The company designs, implements and manages small to medium-scale freshwater environmental projects, supporting clients with ecological assessment, monitoring and restoration.

Its services include freshwater fish surveys, recovery and relocation; macroinvertebrate sampling; stream health and water quality monitoring; instream values, flow and habitat assessments; and monitoring of fine sediment and periphyton. The team also provides hydrological services, including flow and water-level monitoring, reporting for resource consents, baseline assessments and low-flow assessments.

A particular area of specialisation is wetland construction and restoration. Projects range from plugging existing drains to designing and building multi-level, in-stream constructed wetlands. Designs are guided by site objectives, which may include improving biodiversity and habitat for marshbirds or native fish, or reducing nutrients and sediment from pastoral runoff. Freshwater Environmental reports experience working with Tasman District Council and partners on wetland projects at multiple sites across the region.