Much of this area consists of parkland and other reserves, though the water suffers from pollution in the form of stormwater and runoff associated with urban land-use.

[2] It is piped along six sections, the main length being 846 m (2,776 ft), under the former landfill at Ian Galloway Park, from Zealandia (wildlife sanctuary) to Otari-Wilton's Bush.

[3] Near its mouth at Kaiwharawhara, a 107 m (351 ft) tunnel was built as an air-raid shelter in 1944 and the stream was diverted through it after the war, to improve flood protection and allow for additional oil storage tanks.

arborea (koromiko-taranga), makomako, melicytus ramiflorus (mahoe), phormium tenax (harakeke) plagianthus regius (manatu), pohutukawa, pteridium esculentum (aruhe), rangiora, taupata, toetoe and veronica.

[5] Weeds in the valley include paraserianthes lophantha (brush wattle), cytisus scoparius (broom), fennel, gorse, pampas grass, rapeseed, tradescantia fluminensis and tree lupin.