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The new ford over the Catchpool Stream replaces the old one and has a much better fish ladder for access to the upper reaches of the stream by native fish.

The new ford over the Catchpool Stream replaces the old one and has a much better fish ladder for access to the upper reaches of the stream by native fish. (Photo credit: Peter Cooper)

The new ford over the Catchpool Stream is complete!

The old and the new...

The old ford viewed from where the car appears in the picture of the new ford on the right. The new ford shown just after completion
The old ford was much lower and flooded regularly, making it difficult for many vehicles to cross at times. Additionally, native freshwater fish found the barrier difficult to climb. The new ford is shown here just after completion - The top of the fish ladder is at the bottom, left. (Photo credit: Matt Barnett, Department of Conservation)

Earlier stories...

Work has commneced on the replacement of the old ford across the Catchpool Stream near the top car park

Work has commenced on the replacement of the old ford across the Catchpool Stream near the top car park. (Click for a larger image) 

Catchpool ford is being replaced

February/ March, 2010: - Access to the top car park at the Catchpool entrance to the Rimutaka Forest Park is via a temporary ford across the Catchpool Stream south of the camp ground whilst the old ford is being replaced by a new one.

A new ford being built across the Catchpool Stream in the Rimutaka Forest Park will improve access for people visiting the park, and the native fish inhabiting the stream.
 
Work began on Monday to replace the existing high maintenance ford, on the access road to the top car park, from where popular walking and tramping tracks into the park begin. While access to this area will be restricted to four wheel drive vehicles for the six week duration of the project, the result will be improved access and safety for visitors, and unrestricted passage for spawning native fish.
 
As access to the campground will also be restricted, the Department of Conservation (which manages the park) has provided an alternative temporary campsite halfway up the valley.
 
The new ford has been designed to withstand damage to infrastructure from flooding, said DOC Poneke Area visitor assets programme manager Peter Blaxter, explaining that its predecessor required considerable ongoing maintenance, and was creating a barrier to the natural movement of gravel downstream.
 
“This has artificially raised the river bed above the ford to a point that even minor rainfall events cause flooding and erosion of the road approaches.
 
“More than 20,000 vehicles use this road each year and we want to make access as easy and risk-free as possible.”
 
The new design will also allow native fish access up stream to their preferred forested catchment habitat.
 
The old fish ladder at the ford was lost to flooding in 2004 and the one to two metre drop downstream of the ford is impassable for many native fish during normal flow periods.  High water velocity through the small culverts during wet weather periods is also beyond the swimming capabilities of most native freshwater fish.
 
Twelve species of native freshwater fish have been recorded in the Catchpool stream, four of which are classed as chronically threatened under the DOC National Threat Classification System.  Loss of habitat has contributed to their decline.
 
For more information please contact:   Peter Blaxter, pblaxter@doc.govt.nz, 044708418

  

Steady progress is being made on the replacement ford at the Catchpool

Steady progress is being made on the replacement of the old ford across the Catchpool Stream. The new ford will be higher and wider and will incorporate a fish ladder so that native fish can access the higher reaches of Graces Stream and the Catchpool. Work is now expected to be completed by the end of April.

In the final stages of the project, the contractors worked hard on the completion of the fish ladder, which makes access to the upper reaches of the stream easier for native fish.

One of the last items to be completed was the fish ladder, which has been designed to make access to the streams above the ford easier for our native fish. (Click for a larger image.) 

Steady progress is being made on the replacement of the old ford across the Catchpool Stream. The new ford will be higher and wider and will incorporate a fish ladder so that native fish can access the higher reaches of Graces Stream and the Catchpool.