Cam River (Canterbury)

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Cam River / Ruataniwha
Native nameRuataniwha  (Māori)
Location
Country New Zealand
Region Canterbury
DistrictWaimakariri District
Physical characteristics
Source 
  location Rangiora
  coordinates 43°18′00″S172°36′29″E / 43.3000°S 172.608°E / -43.3000; 172.608
Mouth Kaiapoi River
  location
Kaiapoi
  coordinates
43°22′34.77″S172°39′8.25″E / 43.3763250°S 172.6522917°E / -43.3763250; 172.6522917 Coordinates: 43°22′34.77″S172°39′8.25″E / 43.3763250°S 172.6522917°E / -43.3763250; 172.6522917
Basin features
River system Waimakariri River

The Cam River / Ruataniwha is a small river in Canterbury in the South Island of New Zealand. It is a tributary of the Kaiapoi River, itself a tributary of the Waimakariri River.

The Cam / Ruataniwha rises just to the east of the town of Rangiora and flows south across the Canterbury Plains towards Kaiapoi. [1] It has two named tributaries, North Brook and South Brook, both of which rise in Rangiora, plus several unnamed streams and drainage canals.

The river's official name was changed from Cam River to the dual name Cam River / Ruataniwha by the Ngai Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998. [2] The Cam river holds a small population of Brown trout and Chinook salmon, with its tributaries spawning grounds for the trout and salmon mostly in the North Brook and South Brook stream, Middle Brook is silted so any trout in the stream do not spawn.[ citation needed ]

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References

  1. New Zealand Topo50 map series, sheet BW24 – Rangiora
  2. "Ngai Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998 (1998 No 97)".