‘Willows and Alders: Best practice guidelines for Willow and Alder control for riparian restoration for the Waikato’ draws upon the experience of a range of people with a good working knowledge of Willow and Alder management, including wetland ecologists, flood management experts, Regional and District Councils, Department of Conservation (DOC), Crown Research Institute (CRI) scientists, industry, river users, and Waikato-Tainui.

The publication includes general information about willows and alders, details about their effects and management options, as well as useful guidelines on how best to control or plant them. Laid out in a clear informative manner with plenty of valuable photos and illustrations, this guide has been created to make the information needed to make the management of willows and alders as clear as possible.

‘Best Practice Guidelines for Willow and Alder Control for Riparian Restoration for the Waikato River’ was funded by the Waikato River Authority and developed in partnership between NZ Landcare Trust and the Waikato Raupatu River Trust (Waikato-Tainui).

Latest Community Thinking

Discussion around how best to manage willows and alders is ongoing. The creation of this guide has helped focus a range of ideas and practical steps into one place. The community have already responded with further ideas that might be helpful.

If willows are cut back to below the water surface, they don’t grow back! This could be another useful control option if you are looking to remove willow.

PDF –  Willow & Alder Guidelines