A monitoring project from a Maori perspective of the Irongate and Karamu streams in Hawke's Bay begins on Thursday.
Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga has initiated the week long study due to concerns by local Maori about the degradation of the waterways, especially the Karamu.
Marei Apatu, who has a senior management role in the organisation, says the stream is not the live taonga it used to be.
He says a trained team of local Maori will check on water quality and the number of flora and fauna using a monitoring process developed by Ngai Tahu in the South Island.
