This feature class depicts six ‘river classes’. The classes recognise the six main types of streams and rivers found in the Greater Wellington region based on variables that characterise the natural environment such as climate, slope and catchment geology. The river classes are based on the Freshwater Environments of New Zealand (FWENZ) classification (Leathwick at al 2008). FWENZ is a multivariate classification which has been developed to maximise discrimination of un-impacted or natural biological patterns. The classification is based on the relationship between river and stream biota and natural environmental variables (ie, environmental variables not affected by human impacts). Modifications made to the FWENZ classification in order to identify the six river classes depicted in the maps are documented in Warr (2010) and Greenfield et al (2013). Leathwick J, Julian K, Elith J, Chadderton L, Ferrier S, Snelder T. 2008. A biologically-optimised environmental classification of New Zealand rivers and streams; reanalysis excluding human impacts variables. NIWA Client report: HAM2008-027. Prepared for Department of Conservation. Warr S. 2010. River ecosystem classes for the Wellington region – Part 2. Unpublished internal report (Document No.

792833). Greater Wellington Regional Council, Wellington.

Greenfield S, Milne J, Conwell C, Tidswell S, Crisp P and Perrie A. 2013. Technical report for Schedule H of the Regional Plan working discussion document. Unpublished internal report (Document No. #1234058). Greater Wellington Regional Council, Wellington.