Yahoo another kiwi,it is quite lonely here , if it is a natural waterway shouldn't the local council be involved.
Heather

Thanks, you're probably right. I'm a bit cynical 'bout our council, though. I'd like to have some good ideas of my own before I get ordered what to do (LOL!)

Hi jolliness,
I would go to the local council,Unfortunatly you will get a lot of (crap)about water courses etc.plus a lot of sandel wearers telling you, you can't do what you want
What area are you in?There are a lot of things you can do without all the bureaucratic nonesense,and a lot of products available to do the job you want.
Cheers Terry

It's a natural water-course, arising from a spring on an earthquake fault, which runs through town. In some sections it's underground (piped), in other sections it's absolutely as nature made it. Ours was given its river rock walls probably about fifty years ago. We think that the bed has concrete, but its silted over so much we can't tell for sure.
There's a neat terraced strip alongside it we want to keep, and a storm-water drain was once running into it but is now collapsed, I think, and soil has subsided alongside one part of the creek making a "bog garden" area that yuppies would pay a landscape gardener mega-bucks to create (joke!).
Can't make up our minds whether we want the flat lawn look or restore it to some sort of aquatic elegance. Actually, don't dare start making plans until we have a practical (ie not beaurocratic) expert tell us what's feasible.

Hi Jolliness,I would go to a local drainage contractor.He should know the history of the drain and the people in the council who administer that type of work.They will be able to tell you what you want to know.Sorry about the cynicism with council people.We live in waitakere city in ak.The other day I was tuning up my chainsaw not intending to cut down anything and a council official turned up wanting to know my intentions.I told him if he didnt go away my intentions may change.

I would plant it , Hostas , Bog Irises . Primulas .Alocasias .Rodgersias.Aroids and Gunnera etc.

What a sad cynical, prejudiced lot you are. I take it that "sandal wearers" are environmentalists. If this is a natural water course it should be planted with natives from your area, your local council will provide you with a species list. One of the main reasons for planting natives is that whatever you do will affect the whole catchment downstream so even if you don't give a stuff about the environment you might want to think about the affects planting exotics will have on your neighbours downstream. Surely you are aware that half of NZ's vegetation is weeds and introduced species and native species are declining. That to me is very sad.

Jollie - most people would give their eye teeth to have a ready made water feature. I think it would be a lovely addition to your garden if you spruced it up some. Mass planting will enhance it and keep it tidy. As it is dry for some of the year - natives would do well. Be happy - at least there are no market trolley's or car wrecks in it.

Personally I'd encourage the eels as they make a lovely meal, right at your back door. Even make a small smokehouse and have smoked eel whenever you felt like it.
Delicious.

In reply to nickys comment that nz is half full of weeds and introduced species .I refer to the book by Hugh Jonhson The Princples Of Gardening published in 1979 about the worlds plants.He states that NZ is more of an enigma than Australia A very high proportion of its plants are endemic that is known nowhere else.With evidence of the land bridge between antartica on one side and south america on the other.Nz get a half page in this book,Austrlia has a picture.Cheers terry

Back to the real problem children.

It is now accepted here in Australia and I am sure in some land management circles in NZ, that piping or concreting natural waterways creates significant environmental problems. This is now recognised in most developed countries. By concreting a waterway, the velocity and volume of the water is increased. I wo'nt go into the figures, but as communities expand, there is a incremental increase in the surface run-off of water.

Imagine the inner city area of say Auckland. Most of the land area is now covered with buildings, roads, etc. so that nearly all the rainwater just runs off into the drainage system. The more the suburban fringe expands and the inner area gets built on, the larger the volume of water, that is prevented from soaking into the soil or just meandering through a catchment. But it all starts upstream, when the first house gets built and then the roads and so on, etc. etc.

Back to the creek. When increased runoff hits a nice smooth concrete surface it gets faster and compounds to such an extent, that severe erosion and flooding now occurs down steam. This can be disastrous.

In my landscaping lectures I recall seeing lots of photos of erosion and slippage etc. in New Zealand. Flooding is now tragically common in the lower suburban areas of the Sydney basin and I am told in parts of Wellington. It may well occur in other communities of New Zealand as well.

As a result there are severe requirements on housing estates etc. to inhibit water runoff. Swales, detention basins(dams), wetlands to take out nutrients, etc.,are now mandatory. You will find this the same in America and Europe as well.

For example, those big open concrete drains we see beside freeways that once were creeks are now being ripped up. Landscaping companies are being contracted to reinstall a sort of creekline that has curves etc to slow the water. Millions are being spent here, to recreate a sort of creekline with obstructions like rocks and even the broken concrete from the old open drain is being used. Vegetation is being reintroduced as it also slows down the water as well as helping to deal with erosion, take out nutrients, encourage habitat etc.

What appear to be large parklands or football fields, are now detention basins designed to hold water run-off in severe downpours.

Regarding your problem with the eels. This is an area where I know very little about. But I would suggest introducing more rocks of varying size so the holes are smaller between them. Is there a way to live with the eels and yet prevent them damaging the creekline.

My bet is, if you put down a pipe you will add to a problem further down stream. A natural stream sounds like a great thing to have. Consider the cost piping the creekline and spend that budget on planting and improving the 'natural' look.

Might I dare suggest you talk to a sandal 'wearer.' One of them might just be of help regarding the eels.

Robert, have you read the book "Living Water" by Olaf Alexandersson.? It explores the work and ideas of Viktor Schauberger. From your posting above, I imagine it would interest you.

P.S. Sandal wearers of the world, unite!!