BALDWIN DAIRY FARM WETLAND

Back in the day, Gray Baldwin's grandfather drained what was a swampy area on the family farm near Putāruru. Five years ago the area was turned back into a wetland. In a project led by DairyNZ with funding from the Waikato River Authority the reconstructed wetland is proving its worth.
The wetland captures runoff from 45ha of surrounding farmland and the race. DairyNZ and NIWA scientists have found that over 12 months, the wetland removed 45 percent of the nitrogen, 77 per cent of the phosphorus, 80 percent of sediment and 88 percent of E. coli.
The project has also seen an increase in the biodiversity to the area of the farm where the wetland is located.
Gray Baldwin says there has been a lot of interest in the wetland from news media and agricultural industry organisations. He says he's is delighted with what's been achieved and for the project to be a showcase for others.