Integrated Catchment Management

Integrated Catchment Management (ICM)
Planning 204 is a paper that focuses on developing an Integrated Catchment Management Plan (ICM).
Firstly, in order to understand what an ICM is it is essential to define the word “Catchment”. A catchment can be defined as precipitation that lands on vegetation and either percolates into the ground, evaporates, flows via creeks and streams into rivers, lakes and estuaries.
Secondly, an Integrated Catchment Management Plan can be defined as a process to respond to the need to manage human interactions within the ecosystem structure and function. Furthermore, ICM covers the wider realm of social and environmental issues in relation to ecosystems. It works to manage the relationship between human activities and ecosystems. Water is arguably our most important resource in that “every living organism on this planet requires water in some form. Water, therefore regulates population growth, influences world health and living conditions and determines biodiversity” (Newson, 1992 cited in Heathcote, 1998, p.11). Therefore, ICM is arguably one of the best units for the management of water resources.
For the purpose of carrying out an Integrated Catchment Management plan we got into groups and were allocated catchments. My group’s allocation was the Kaukapakapa River and estuary out to junction with Kaipara Estuary.
Firstly, we had to familiarise ourselves with the allocated area by studying a topography map of the catchment and spending a day visiting the catchment to take photos and observe the land-use within the catchment as well as the water quality.
The features of the site that we undertook research for in the first part of the assessment involved researching the following:
• Biophysical characteristics (soils, geology, climate, topography)
• Hydrology (water quality, water demand, dams, salinity, flows)
• Biology (flora and fauna)
• Built environment (land use, consents, culturally significant sites, archeology)
This therefore, laid out characteristics of the catchment in relation to land use that placed a significant impact on water quality.
The second part to the assessment was individual work in carrying out a suitable Integrated Catchment Management plan that would outline economic and social strategies to enhance and manage the catchment. Some examples include riparian vegetation for the prevention of stream bank erosion and shading, planting along the contour lines to prevent erosion, fencing along the stream bank and re-vegetating ecological corridors to prevent fragmentation of vegetation and biodiversity loss within the catchment.