• The Montgomery Wetland is located near the Montgomery Highly Modified Water Course (HMWC), adjacent to the Hekeao-Hinds River in Mid Canterbury New Zealand.

• The wetland was designed to reduced nitrate loads in the Montgomery HMWC and was a result of a collaboration between many shareholders, including Wairuna Farms, Dairy NZ, Hekeao-Hinds Water Enhancement Trust, the Mid Canterbury Catchment Collective, and MHV Water.

• The overall research question was ‘Can small-scale community-based wetlands be an effective tool for improving water quality’? This was then broken down into two more specific research questions: “has there been any change in the Montgomery Stream water quality over the different phases of the wetland development?’ and “what are the shareholder aspirations for the wetland?”

• This research involved both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative in the form of nitrate data, supplied from MHV Water, and qualitative in the form of interview transcripts from key shareholders.

-The key findings of this research were: ° The constructed wetland is successfully removing nitrates from the water. ° The wetland was successful in keeping within a budget and involving the community in a meaningful project. ° Community aspirations align and provide direction to enhancement of the wetlands value.

• Future research should focus on developing a plan with mana whenua to ensure their aspirations are included in plans and creating a comprehensive monitoring scheme for the wetland.