Land use and cover
Prior to human contact, the upper slopes of the FMU would have likely been clad in broad leaf and totara forest; the valley floor with matai and ferns. Later, beech forest would have been present on the hills while the valley forest would have remained largely the same; this would have been approximately around the time of initial Polynesian settlement. At this point there is evidence of rapid forest destruction however the trend was accelerated with the arrival of European settlers from the mid-1800s.
Swift land use change occurred soon afterwards, with large sheep runs being established from 1840. Pastoral farming throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, with some cropping. Significant land use change in the wider region commenced again in the 1970s with the establishment of commercial forestry plantations – mainly Pinus Radiata – through the privatisation of the forestry sector at this time. In the Awatere, this was less prevalent and impacted mainly the lower slopes, particularly the Black Birch ranges. More recently, the rapid expansion of viticulture on the lower valley river terraces has again changed the landscape of the area. This has been occurring since the late 1970s.
Nowadays, pastoral farming remains in the Awatere, predominantly in the upper reaches through to the Molesworth station. This property continues to be farmed by the Department of Conservation (DOC) and is open to the public. The forestry conversion from the 1970s - 1990s has now largely been harvested and replanted into another rotation.
Viticulture was first formally surveyed in the early 2000s by the council as displayed on the graph below. Rapid expansion in the early 2000s saw plantings more than triple in one year, before stalling post the Global Financial Crisis. Conversion of the lower valley to viticulture continues, with significant new plantings within the last five years. There has also been significant investment in terms of infrastructure and buildings, including several private irrigation dams in a range of sizes. The Awatere now accounts for around 30% of total vineyard plantings across Marlborough. More recently, plantings represent a mixture of conversion and replanting of older vines. The most recent 2021 survey has the Awatere planted area at just over 8,200ha. Lifestyle blocks are also a popular land use in this location.
