Restoration Rocks – Trialling Gravel and Overburden Skimming for Fish Habitat Restoration

We assessed environmental conditions and fish communities at sites subjected to an experimental Gravel and Overburden Skimming (GOS) technique compared with traditional pit mining and unmodified control sites in the Aparima River, New Zealand. GOS aims to restore braided river processes by removing invasive vegetation, remobilising gravel, and recreating complex braided habitats. Monthly sampling was conducted over three months (late summer to autumn) across treatments.Data files relate to native fish diversity, species composition and environmental variables from our sampling on the Aparima River during February, March and April 2023.