Mauri Compass
Stream Health Assessment
SHMAK Assessment Modules
Stream Health Monitoring and Assessment Kit - Complete Toolkit
About SHMAK
The Stream Health Monitoring and Assessment Kit (SHMAK) is a comprehensive methodology developed by NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) for assessing the health of New Zealand streams and rivers. This toolkit includes 11 assessment modules covering biological, chemical, and physical indicators of stream health, plus mahinga kai assessment and FORMAK (Forest Monitoring and Assessment Kit) for integrated catchment monitoring.
Macroinvertebrates (MCI)
Identify stream bugs to assess water quality using the MCI score
Water Quality
Test 6 key parameters: clarity, temperature, conductivity, nitrate, phosphate, E.coli
Periphyton
Assess algae and slime coverage on rocks (0-100% coverage)
Macrophytes
Identify aquatic plants - 9 NZ native and introduced species
Fish
Observe and count fish species - 13 NZ native and introduced species
Stream Habitat
Assess physical habitat: banks, vegetation, shading, channel modification
Streambed Composition
Measure substrate types: bedrock, boulder, cobble, gravel, sand, silt
Rubbish
Count and categorize stream pollution: plastic, metal, glass, organic, other
Current Velocity & Streamflow
Measure flow speed and discharge using float method and cross-section
Environmental Conditions
Record weather data and lunar phase - auto-fetch from Open-Meteo API
Mahinga Kai Assessment
Comprehensive assessment aggregating all 10 modules for traditional food gathering
FORMAK (Forest Monitoring)
Forest assessment: photopoints, vegetation, bird counts, pest transects
Data Persistence
All assessment data is automatically saved to your browser's local storage. You can work offline and your data will be preserved even if you close the browser. Each module maintains its own independent data.
Mauri Compass v2.11.0