Lake Ōkataina

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Lake Ōkataina
Lake Okataina
Te Moana i kataina ā Te Rangitakaroro (Māori)
LakeOkataina.jpg
Aerial view from the south
Lake Okataina
NZ-NI plain map.png
Disc Plain red.svg
Lake Ōkataina
Location Bay of Plenty, North Island
Coordinates 38°07′S176°25′E / 38.117°S 176.417°E / -38.117; 176.417
Type crater lake
Primary inflows Herupapaoa Stream, Pukahu Stream [1] : 50 
Primary outflows subsurface
Catchment area 59.8 km2 (23.1 sq mi) [1] : 56 
Basin  countriesNew Zealand
Max. length6.2 km (3.9 mi) [2]
Max. width5.0 km (3.1 mi) [2]
Surface area10.7 km2 (4.1 sq mi) [1] : 55 
Average depth44.0 m (144.4 ft) [2]
Max. depth78.5 m (258 ft) [2]
Surface elevation309.1 m (1,014 ft) [1] : 24 
References [1] : 55–6  [2]

Lake Ōkataina (also spelled Okataina; Māori : Te Moana i kataina ā Te Rangitakaroro or Ōkataina) is the northernmost and largest of four smaller lakes lying between Lake Rotorua and Lake Tarawera in the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island. The others are Lake Rotokakahi (Green Lake), Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake), and Lake Ōkareka. All lie within the Ōkataina caldera, along its western edge.

Contents

Geography

Unlike many other lakes in the region, Lake Ōkataina is completely encircled by native forest. Over the past 30 years, the level of the lake has risen and fallen in a range of about 5 metres. The mean autumn lake level is 309.1 m (1,014 ft). [1] : 24 

The lake can be accessed by road via Hinehopu on the southern shores of Lake Rotoiti. At the end of the road there is a large sandy beach, a massive grassed area and the privately owned Okataina Lodge. Due to changes in the surface level of the lake, the lodge jetty has at times been either completely submerged or left high and dry.

On its south-western arm is a small island, Motuwhetero Island.

Water Flow

The lake is feed by multiple unnamed and often transient streams with a total catchment precipitation inflow average of 3,841 L/s (135.6 cu ft/s). [1] : 56  The only named streams that empty into the lake are the Herupapaoa Stream and Pukahu Streams. [1] : 50  The Te Rereoterangi Stream joins the permanent Herupapaoa Stream before it enters the lake. [1] : 50  The lake has no surface outflow and a outflow to Lake Tarawera of 399 L/s (14.1 cu ft/s) has been estimated. [1] : 70 

Geology

It is located in the Ōkataina Caldera and some of its south-eastern shore has discoloured hot water sources in the lake. [1] : 50  The western shore is underlaid by Mamaku ignimbrite from the Rotorua Caldera eruption of 240,000 years ago. [3] The rest of the lake catchment has rhyolite formations from Ōkataina eruptions. [1] : 8 

After the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera the lake level increased, to a maximum height about 1930 which dropped to present levels after the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake. The lake is now about 10 m (33 ft) above its pre 1886 level. [4] : 16 

Culture

The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "place of laughter" for Ōkataina. [5] The lake and surrounds were occupied by the Ngāti Tarāwhai iwi.

Te Koutu Pā was located on the north-east shore of Lake Ōkataina. [6] The carved entrance gate, is to be found in the Auckland War Memorial Museum. [7]

Because of war raids before 1886, [6] and flooding after 1886, the previous sites of occupation on the lake shore were abandoned by the Māori Ngāti Tarāwhai inhabitants. [4] : 16, 27  Both a drowned Pā and shrine has been found. [4] : 56  A palisade post found under water near Motuwhetero Island confirms that the older low lake level had been present for at least about 100 years before the eruption. [4] : 132  Rock art in the form of a canoe in red ochre has been described. [4] : 56 

Ecology

The lake is surrounded by pristine virgin native forest and has good fishing for Rainbow trout. [8]

The area around the Okataina Lodge is heavily populated by tammar wallabies introduced from Australia in the 19th century. [9] It is known that these have impacted on the seedling layer of the forest, drastically reducing seedling density and diversity, and causing the disappearance of preferred food species. The local Red deer prevent seedlings from maturing into saplings and the combined effect has been a profound depletion of the forest understorey. [10]

Its trophic level index was 2.7 in 2014, being the lowest of the Ōkataina Caldera lakes. [1] : 5 

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taupō Volcanic Zone</span> Active volcanic zone in New Zealand

The Taupō Volcanic Zone (TVZ) is a volcanic area in the North Island of New Zealand. It has been active for at least the past two million years and is still highly active.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Tarawera</span> Volcano in New Zealand

Mount Tarawera is a volcano on the North Island of New Zealand within the older but volcanically productive Ōkataina Caldera. Located 24 kilometres southeast of Rotorua, it consists of a series of rhyolitic lava domes that were fissured down the middle by an explosive basaltic eruption in 1886. While the 1886 eruption was basaltic, study has shown there was only a small basalt component to the previous recent rhyolitic predominant eruptions. This eruption was one of New Zealand's largest historical eruptions, and killed an estimated 120 people. The fissures run for about 17 kilometres (11 mi) northeast–southwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Tikitapu</span> Crater lake in New Zealand

Lake Tikitapu, more commonly known as Blue Lake, is the smallest of four small lakes lying between Lake Rotorua and Lake Tarawera in the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand. The other three are Lake Rotokakahi, Lake Ōkāreka, and Lake Ōkataina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Te Wairoa, New Zealand</span> Ghost town in Bay of Plenty, New Zealand

Te Wairoa was a village close to the shore of Lake Tarawera near Rotorua, New Zealand. The village was buried by volcanic ash in the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera. It was later excavated and is now open as a tourist destination, the Buried Village. The nearby Wairere Falls are also a tourist destination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Rotokākahi</span> Lake in the North Island of New Zealand

Lake Rotokākahi or Green Lake, is one of four small lakes lying between Lake Rotorua and Lake Tarawera in the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island. The others are Lake Tikitapu, Lake Ōkāreka, and Lake Ōkataina. All lie within the Ōkataina Caldera, along its western edge.

Lake Ōkāreka is one of four small lakes lying between Lake Rotorua and Lake Tarawera, in the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island. The others are Lake Rotokakahi, Lake Tikitapu, and Lake Ōkataina. All lie within the Ōkataina Caldera, along its western edge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Rerewhakaaitu</span> Lake in New Zealand

Lake Rerewhakaaitu is a small, shallow lake in northern New Zealand, located 30 kilometres to the east of Rotorua. It is immediately south of the active volcano Mount Tarawera, and the geography was substantially altered by the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Rotomahana</span> Lake in the North Island of New Zealand

Lake Rotomahana is an 890-hectare (2,200-acre) lake in northern New Zealand, located 20 kilometres to the south-east of Rotorua. It is immediately south-west of the dormant volcano Mount Tarawera, and its geography was substantially altered by a major 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera. Along with the mountain, it lies within the Ōkataina Caldera. It is the most recently formed larger natural lake in New Zealand, and the deepest in the Rotorua district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Tarawera</span> Lake in New Zealand

Lake Tarawera is the largest of a series of lakes which surround the volcano Mount Tarawera in the North Island of New Zealand. Like the mountain, it lies within the Ōkataina Caldera. It is located 18 kilometres (11 mi) to the east of Rotorua, and beneath the peaks of the Tarawera massif i.e. Wahanga, Ruawahia, Tarawera and Koa. Tarawera means "Burnt Spear", named by a visiting hunter who left his bird spears in a hut and on returning the following season found that both his spears and hut had been turned to ashes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Rotorua</span> Lake in the North Island of New Zealand

Lake Rotorua is the second largest lake in the North Island of New Zealand by surface area, and covers 79.8 km2. With a mean depth of only 10 metres it is considerably smaller than nearby Lake Tarawera in terms of volume of water. It is located within the Rotorua Caldera in the Bay of Plenty Region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Island Volcanic Plateau</span> A pyroclastic volcanic plateau on the North Island of New Zealand

The North Island Volcanic Plateau is a volcanic plateau covering much of central North Island of New Zealand with volcanoes, lava plateaus, and crater lakes. It contains the Taupō caldera complex, Ōkataina caldera complex and Tongariro Volcanic Centre resulting in it being currently the most frequently active and productive area of silicic volcanism on Earth. New Zealand is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Rotoiti (Bay of Plenty)</span> Lake in the North Island of New Zealand

Lake Rotoiti is a lake in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand. It is the northwesternmost in a chain of lakes formed within the Okataina Caldera. The lake is close to the northern shore of its more famous neighbour, Lake Rotorua, and is connected to it via the Ohau Channel. It drains to the Kaituna River, which flows into the Bay of Plenty near Maketu.

Ngāti Rangitihi is a Māori iwi of New Zealand, located in the Bay of Plenty.

The region around the city of Rotorua, in New Zealand's North Island, contains several lakes which have a total area of about 250 square kilometres. The term Rotorua lakes is ambiguous as it has been used historically for a New Zealand administrative area. From biggest to smallest, these are Lake Rotorua, Lake Tarawera, Lake Rotoiti, Lake Rotomā, Lake Okataina, Lake Rotoehu, Lake Rotomahana, Lake Rerewhakaaitu, Lake Rotokākahi, Lake Okareka and Lake Tikitapu. There are also smaller lakes including: Lake Okaro, Lake Rotokawa, Lake Rotokawau and Lake Rotongata. Most of the lakes have formed due to volcanic activity and some have current geothermal activity. The region is part of the Taupō Volcanic Zone, the world's most active area of explosive silicic volcanic activity in geologically recent time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera</span> Volcanic eruption in New Zealand

The 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera was a violent volcanic eruption that occurred in the early hours of 10 June 1886 at Mount Tarawera, near Rotorua on New Zealand's North Island. The eruption reached an estimated volcanic explosivity index (VEI) of 5 and killed an estimated 120 people, making it the largest and deadliest in New Zealand during the past 500 years, a period that includes the entirety of European history in New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Rotokawau (Bay of Plenty)</span> Lake in the North Island of New Zealand

Lake Rotokawau is a small volcanic lake 4.1 km (2.5 mi) east of Lake Rotorua in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. The name is also used for lakes in the Kaipara District, Chatham Islands, on Aupouri Peninsula and near Lake Waikare in Waikato. Access is via Lake Rotokawau Road, from SH30 at Tikitere. The lake is owned and managed by Ngāti Rangiteaorere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kapenga Caldera</span> Volcanic caldera in New Zealand

The Kapenga Caldera in New Zealand’s Taupō Volcanic Zone lies in a low land area immediately south of Lake Rotorua through the Hemo Gap in the Rotorua Caldera rim. At some time more than 60,000 years ago Lake Rotorua drained through the Hemo Gap and some of the Kapenga Caldera floor was likely occupied by a lake, that has been called Kapenga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ōkataina Caldera</span> Volcanic caldera in New Zealand

Ōkataina Caldera is a volcanic caldera and its associated volcanoes located in Taupō Volcanic Zone of New Zealand's North Island. It has several actual or postulated sub calderas. The Ōkataina Caldera is just east of the smaller separate Rotorua Caldera and southwest of the much smaller Rotomā Embayment which is usually regarded as an associated volcano. It shows high rates of explosive rhyolitic volcanism although its last eruption was basaltic. The postulated Haroharo Caldera contained within it has sometimes been described in almost interchangeable terms with the Ōkataina Caldera or volcanic complex or centre and by other authors as a separate complex defined by gravitational and magnetic features.. Since 2010 other terms such as the Haroharo vent alignment, Utu Caldera, Matahina Caldera, Rotoiti Caldera and a postulated Kawerau Caldera are often used, rather than a Haroharo Caldera classification.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ōkāreka Embayment</span> Volcano in North Island, New Zealand

The Ōkāreka Embayment is a volcanic feature in Taupo Volcanic Zone of New Zealand. Its most significant recent volcanic eruption was about 15,700 years ago and this deposited the widespread Rotorua tephra that reached beyond Auckland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tikitere Graben</span> A geological feature in the North Island of New Zealand

The Tikitere Graben is a intra-rift graben in the North Island of New Zealand that contains the Ohau Channel, which drains Lake Rotorua into Lake Rotoiti with a minimal drop between the lakes.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 White, P; Toews, M; Tschritter, C; Lovett, A (2016). "Nitrogen discharge from the groundwater system to lakes and streams in the greater Lake Tarawera catchment GNS Science Consultancy Report 20151108" (PDF). Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Lowe, D.J.; Green, J.D. (1987). Viner, A.B. (ed.). Inland waters of New Zealand. Wellington: DSIR Science Information Publishing Centre. pp. 471–474. ISBN   0-477-06799-9.
  3. ↑ Bégué, F.; Deering, C. D.; Gravley, D. M.; Kennedy, B. M.; Chambefort, I.; Gualda, G. A. R.; Bachmann, O. (2014). "Extraction, Storage and Eruption of Multiple Isolated Magma Batches in the Paired Mamaku and Ohakuri Eruption, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand". Journal of Petrology. 55 (8): 1653–1684. doi: 10.1093/petrology/egu038 . hdl: 20.500.11850/88102 .
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Law, Garry (2008). Archaeology of the Bay of Plenty (PDF). Science and Technical Publishing, Department of Conservation, New Zealand. ISBN   9780478144307 . Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  5. ↑ "1000 Māori place names". New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 6 August 2019.
  6. 1 2 "New Zealand National Library:Te Koutu Pā" . Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  7. ↑ "New Zealand National Library:Merrett, Joseph Jenner, 1816?-1854 :[The Hobson album]. The Pah of Okataina on the Lake of [the same] name. Taken by Pomare from the Bay of Islands in the taua of Hungi 16 years ago. [1841?]" . Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  8. ↑ "Lake Okataina". NZFishing.com. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  9. ↑ MacFarlane, Kristin (20 August 2006). "Where are the wallabies?". Rotorua Daily Post. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
  10. ↑ "Impact of dama wallaby and red deer in Lake Okataina Scenic Reserve" . Retrieved 27 August 2023.

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