'Sherry River Project; improving water quality through farm environmental planning.'
This Sustainable Farming Fund project aims to improve water quality within the Sherry River catchment, a 7800 hectare sub-catchment in the upper reaches of the Motueka River near Nelson. Research had confirmed the problems caused by farm practices, specifically dairy herd crossings. The area is made up of forestry in the upper end of the valley with a mix of dairy, sheep, beef and lifestyle landowners in the lower catchment. The valley is a micro example of the larger Motueka Catchment land use and a major contributor of E. coli and nutrients to the Motueka River. The project feeds into the broader Integrated Catchment Management (ICM) Project which is a six-year whole catchment ‘mountain top to the coast’ study of the Motueka River and its tributaries.
