Hurunui River

Last updated

Hurunui River
Cyclist crossing the Hurunui River.JPG
A mountainbiker crossing the Hurunui River upstream of Lake Sumner
New Zealand relief map.jpg
Disc Plain red.svg
Location of the mouth within New Zealand
Location
CountryNew Zealand
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • location Southern Alps
Mouth  
 • location
 Pacific Ocean
 • elevation
sea level
Length150 km (93 mi) [1]
Basin size2,671 km2 (1,031 sq mi) [1]
Discharge 
 • average53 m3/s (1,900 cu ft/s) [2]
 • minimum16.8 m3/s (590 cu ft/s) [2]

The Hurunui River is the fourth largest of the four principal rivers in north Canterbury, New Zealand, with a catchment area of 2,670 square kilometres (1,030 sq mi). [3] The river flows from the eastern side of the Southern Alps, to the Pacific Ocean.

Contents

Geography

The head of the Hurunui River is at Harper Pass; on the other side of the pass is the Taramakau River. [4] Some of the tributaries include the Jollie Brook, the Hurunui River South Branch, the Glenrae River and the Mandamus River. The Hurunui River flows through Lake Sumner. A hot pool has been constructed at the base of a small waterfall on a side stream of the river.

Recreation

The river has rapids rated class II and III on the international scale of river difficulty and is popular for kayaking. [5] The best whitewater is considered to be below the confluence of the north and south branches of the river in Maori Gully and in the Harwarden Gorge. [6]

Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) were introduced from California in the 1900s for game fishing. [7]

Water conservation order

On 30 August 2007, the New Zealand Fish and Game Council and the New Zealand Recreational Canoeing Association (now known as Whitewater NZ) lodged an application with the Ministry for the Environment for a Water Conservation Order to protect the Hurunui River. [8]

On 14 August 2009, the Special Tribunal considering the application recommended to the Minister that a conservation order be granted for the North Branch of the Hurunui River but not the South Branch. [9] On 2 September, Whitewater NZ lodged an appeal of the Tribunal's decision with the Environment Court in order to include the South Branch of the Hurunui River. [10]

Water project

The Hurunui Water Project has applied to Environment Canterbury, the regional council responsible for administering the river, for resource consents to dam the river and to take water for irrigation. The proposed scheme involves a weir that will raise the level of Lake Sumner, a dam and lake on the south branch of the river and an intake on the main stem of the river. [11]

In October 2009, the Hurunui Water Project said it would delay the processing of its applications for resource consents for up to a year so that the Canterbury Water Management Strategy could address the issue of water storage. [12] A march planned in Christchurch as a protest to the scheme still went ahead as scheduled two days after the announcement. As well as hundreds of protest marchers, [13] kayakers and fishers travelled down the Avon River. [14] Sam Mahon, a Canterbury-based artist concerned about water pollution, made a bust of Environment Minister Nick Smith out of dairy-cow dung in order to publicise the campaign to stop the Hurunui River from being dammed for irrigation. [15]

In February 2010 the Hurunui Water Project announced that it would reactivate the resource consent process. [16] On 16 November 2010, the Hurunui Water Project lodged a High Court appeal of Environment Canterbury's decision to make the damming of the Hurunui River a non-complying activity in the Canterbury Natural Resources Regional Plan. [17]

In September 2012 the public notification of resource consent recommenced. The scope includes the construction of four dams on the Waitohi river, extraction of up to 49.2 cubic metres per second (1,740 cu ft/s) of water from the main stem of the Hurunui river, extraction of up to 42.4 cubic metres per second (1,500 cu ft/s) from the Waitohi River, run-of-river hydro-power generation, and storage of 6.5 million cubic metres (5,300 acre⋅ft) of water in other dams on the plains. By comparison the existing flow of the Hurunui river is 53 cubic metres per second (1,900 cu ft/s) (mean) and low-flow of 16.8 cubic metres per second (590 cu ft/s). [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

Waikato River Longest river in New Zealand

The Waikato River is the longest river in New Zealand, running for 425 kilometres (264 mi) through the North Island. It rises in the eastern slopes of Mount Ruapehu, joining the Tongariro River system and flowing through Lake Taupo, New Zealand's largest lake. It then drains Taupo at the lake's northeastern edge, creates the Huka Falls, and flows northwest through the Waikato Plains. It empties into the Tasman Sea south of Auckland, at Port Waikato. It gives its name to the Waikato region that surrounds the Waikato Plains. The present course of the river was largely formed about 17,000 years ago. Contributing factors were climate warming, forest being reestablished in the river headwaters and the deepening, rather than widening, of the existing river channel. The channel was gradually eroded as far up river as Piarere, leaving the old Hinuera channel through the Hinuera Gap high and dry. The remains of the old river path can be clearly seen at Hinuera where the cliffs mark the ancient river edges. The river's main tributary is the Waipa River, which has its confluence with the Waikato at Ngāruawāhia.

Waimakariri River River in Canterbury, New Zealand

The Waimakariri River is one of the largest rivers in Canterbury, on the eastern coast of New Zealand's South Island. It flows for 151 kilometres (94 mi) in a generally southeastward direction from the Southern Alps across the Canterbury Plains to the Pacific Ocean.

Rakaia River River in Canterbury, New Zealand

The Rakaia River is in the Canterbury Plains in New Zealand's South Island. The Rakaia River is one of the largest braided rivers in New Zealand. The Rakaia River has a mean flow of 203 cubic metres per second (7,200 cu ft/s) and a mean annual seven-day low flow of 87 m3/s (3,100 cu ft/s). In the 1850s, European settlers named it the Cholmondeley River, but this name lapsed into disuse.

Rangitata River

The Rangitata River is one of the braided rivers that helped form the Canterbury Plains in southern New Zealand. It flows southeast for 120 kilometres (75 mi) from the Southern Alps, entering the Pacific Ocean 30 kilometres (19 mi) northeast of Timaru. The river has a catchment area of 1,773 square kilometres (685 sq mi), and a mean annual flow of 95 cubic metres per second (3,400 cu ft/s) at Klondyke.

Project Aqua was a hydroelectric scheme proposed for the lower Waitaki River in New Zealand. Although the scheme had considerable support from some locals, it met with opposition from many other groups, and Meridian Energy decided in March 2004 not to go ahead with the project.

Tongariro River

The Tongariro River is a river in the North Island of New Zealand. The part of the Waikato River from the Waihohonu Stream, down to Lake Taupo, was formally named the Tongariro River in 1945. The river originates in the Central Plateau of the North Island where it is fed by numerous tributaries that flow off the surrounding hill ranges and mountains such as Mount Ruapehu. It then winds its way north, through the township of Turangi before entering Lake Taupo via a number of river mouths. The minimum volume of water flowing down the lower Tongariro River ranges from approximately 16 cubic metres per second (570 cu ft/s) to 21 cubic metres per second (740 cu ft/s). This volume can substantially increase due to catchment of rainfall by the surrounding mountains and hill ranges.

Gosling Creek Dam Dam in Orange, New South Wales

Gosling Creek Dam is a decommissioned minor earth and rock fill with clay core embankment dam with concrete chute spillway across the Gosling Creek upstream of Orange in the central western region of New South Wales, Australia. Commissioned in 1890 to supply Orange with potable water, the dam was decommissioned after the official commissioning of the Suma Park Dam in 1962. The impounded reservoir is called Gosling Creek Reservoir and is now used for recreation purposes.

Pindari Dam Dam in North West Slopes, New South Wales

Pindari Dam is a minor concrete faced rockfill embankment dam with an ungated uncontrolled rock cut with concrete sill spillway across the Severn River located upstream of the town of Ashford, in the North West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia. The dam's purpose includes flood mitigation, hydro-power, irrigation, water supply and conservation. The impounded reservoir is called Lake Pindari.

Canterbury Regional Council

Canterbury Regional Council is the regional council for Canterbury, the largest region in the South Island of New Zealand. It is part of New Zealand's structure of local government. It uses the promotional name Environment Canterbury, frequently abbreviated to ECan.

Chaffey Dam Dam in Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia

Chaffey Dam is a minor ungated rock fill with clay core embankment dam with an uncontrolled morning glory spillway across the Peel River, located upstream of the city of Tamworth, in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. The dam's purpose includes flood mitigation, irrigation, water supply, and water conservation.

Central Plains Water

Central Plains Water, or, more fully, the Central Plains Water Enhancement Scheme, is a large-scale proposal for water diversion, damming, reticulation and irrigation for the Central Plains of Canterbury, New Zealand. Construction started on the scheme in 2014.

This is a timeline of the Central Plains Water Enhancement Scheme.

The rivers of New Zealand are used for a variety of purposes and face a number of environmental issues. Many of the rivers in the South Island are braided rivers.

The Mokihinui Hydro was a proposed hydroelectric dam and power station planned for conservation land on the Mōkihinui River on the West Coast of New Zealand. The project by Meridian Energy was expected to cost $300 million.

The North Bank tunnel concept was a hydroelectric scheme being developed by Meridian Energy on the Waitaki River in Canterbury, New Zealand. The $993 million project was expected to produce an additional 1,100 to 1,400 gigawatt-hours per annum, and take up to 260 cubic metres per second (9,200 cu ft/s) of water from Lake Waitaki. The project would have resulted in a 275 gigawatt-hours (990 TJ) per annum reduction in output from the Waitaki hydro station.

Canterbury Water Management Strategy

The Canterbury Water Management Strategy is being developed in Canterbury, New Zealand to address water related issues in the region.

Sam Mahon

Sam Mahon is an artist and author living in Waikari in North Canterbury in the South Island of New Zealand. He is the son of Peter Mahon, a lawyer notable for the Mt Erebus disaster inquiry.

Project Hurunui is a proposed wind farm located between Omihi and Greta Valley in north Canterbury, New Zealand. Meridian Energy is developing the wind farm, which is planned to produce up to 75.9 MW from 2014.

Kosasthalaiyar River, also known as Kortalaiyar, is one of the three rivers that flow in the Chennai metropolitan area.

Rangitata Diversion Race Irrigation scheme in Canterbury, New Zealand

The Rangitata Diversion Race or RDR is a combined irrigation and power generation scheme that diverts water from the Rangitata River to irrigate over 100,000 hectares of farmland in Mid-Canterbury, New Zealand.The RDR project was the first major river diversion in New Zealand, and the largest irrigation scheme in the country. It was originally constructed by the Public Works Department between 1937 and 1944. The main canal is 67 km long, 10 m wide and 3 m deep.

References

  1. 1 2 "Hurunui River Catchment". Land Air Water Aotearoa.
  2. 1 2 "Canterbury Water Management Strategy", Environment Canterbury, 6 December 2010, archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2019, retrieved 18 April 2019
  3. ↑ Robert Logan, Waimakariri. The story of Canterbury's "river of cold rushing water". ISBN   0-473-00520-4, Robert Logan, Christchurch, 1987, page 6.
  4. ↑ "Place name detail: Harper Pass". New Zealand Gazetteer. New Zealand Geographic Board . Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  5. ↑ Whitewater NZ website, retrieved 23 July 2009.
  6. ↑ Egarr, Graeme (1988). Whitewater: River Running in New Zealand. p. 208. ISBN   0-474-00302-7.
  7. ↑ McDowall, R. M. (1990) New Zealand freshwater fishes: a natural history and guide. Heinemann-Reed, Auckland, 553 p.
  8. ↑ Protection sought for Hurunui River Archived 23 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine New Zealand Fish and Game Council press release, 30 August 2007, retrieved 1 October 2007.
  9. ↑ Report of Special Tribunal Archived 22 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine , Ministry for the Environment website, 2009-08-14, retrieved 16 October 2009. Or download from Whitewater NZ website Archived 14 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine , Or download from NZ Open Government Online Groups.
  10. ↑ Appeal re Hurunui WCO, Whitewater NZ website, 2009-09-02, retrieved 16 October 2009.
  11. ↑ Hurunui Water Project Archived 30 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine , Environment Canterbury website, 2009-08-13, retrieved 16 October 2009.
  12. ↑ Marc Greenhill, Hurunui scheme on hold for up to year, The Press (Stuff.co.nz/Fairfax Media Ltd), 2009-10-15, retrieved 16 October 2009. Archived at WebCite
  13. ↑ TV ONE NEWS (16 October 2009). "Hundreds protest Hurunui dam project". Television New Zealand. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  14. ↑ Williams, David (17 October 2009). "Protesters make waves over plan". The Press. Archived from the original on 19 October 2009. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  15. ↑ Jeff Hampton, Artist protests damage to environment with Nick Smith dung sculpture, TV3 News, 2009-10-29, retrieved 30 October 2009. Archived at WebCite.
  16. ↑ Williams, David (1 February 2010). "Resource consent requests reactivated". The Press. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  17. ↑ Duncan Cotterill (16 November 2010). "Notice of Appeal under S 66 of the Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Act 2010" (PDF). Hurunui Water Project Limited. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 June 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
  18. ↑ "Canterbury Water Management Strategy" (PDF). URS Corporation. 6 December 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 February 2013.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Hurunui River at Wikimedia Commons

Coordinates: 42°54′S173°16′E / 42.900°S 173.267°E / -42.900; 173.267

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.