Whangamarino River

Last updated

Whangamarino River
Location
Country New Zealand
Physical characteristics
Source 
  location Lake Waikare (modified due to flood control scheme)
Mouth  
  location
Waikato River @ Meremere

The Whangamarino River is a lowland river of the Waikato Region of New Zealand's North Island, draining the Whangamarino Wetland and associated farmland catchment. The river converges with the Waikato River just north of Meremere. The main tributary is the Maramarua River, which starts in the Hunua Ranges and forms the northern catchment of the Whangamarino River.

Contents

The natural Whangamarino River system, especially the main branch (the southern catchment), has been highly modified due to the lower flood protection scheme of the lower Waikato River. [1] Prior to these floodworks, the Whangamarino Catchment was unconnected with Lake Waikare. However, due to the Lower Waikato-Waipa Flood Control Scheme, constructed in the 1960s, Lake Waikare was transformed and used for flood retention storage when the nearby Waikato River was in flood. During flood events, the Waikato River now overflows into the transformed Lake Waikato via the Rangiriri Spillway (and the redirected Te Onetea Stream). When the Waikato River conditions are suitable, the flood waters are discharged from Lake Waikare into the Whangamarino River catchment through the artificial Pungarehu Canal.

While the flood scheme has permanently changed the ecology of Lake Waikare, it has also provided broader benefits for the community. [2] [3]

Whangamarino Wetland

The Whangamarino River includes the large Whangamarino Wetland (5,193 hectares) which is the second largest bog and swamp wetland in the North Island of New Zealand (after the Kopuatai Peat Dome). Due to human activity of draining the wetland for farming and the impact of the flood control scheme, the size of the wetland is about half its natural size. The wetland includes peat bog, swampland, mesotrophic lags, and open water river systems are managed as both Wetland and Wildlife Management reserves by the Department of Conservation. Importantly, the Wetland is protected by under the Ramsar Convention (Wetland Protection Treaty).

Bridges

The main crossings of the river are -

See also

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Waikato is a region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the northern King Country, much of the Taupō District, and parts of the Rotorua Lakes District. It is governed by the Waikato Regional Council.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waipā River</span> River in New Zealand

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piako River</span> River in New Zealand

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hauraki Plains</span> Region of New Zealand

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waikato Plains</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kopuatai Peat Dome</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Ngaroto</span>

Lake Ngaroto is a peat lake in Waipa District of New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whangamarino Wetland</span> Wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention

The Whangamarino Wetland in the Waikato District is the second largest wetland complex of the North Island of New Zealand. Encompassing a total area of more than 7200 hectares, the Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai manages 5,923 hectares of peat bog, swamp, mesotrophic lags, open water and river systems listed as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. Fish and Game New Zealand are the second largest landowner, managing 748 hectares of the wetland primarily as gamebird hunting habitat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Bridge, Cambridge, New Zealand</span> Bridge

Victoria Bridge is a hinged braced arch, bridge in New Zealand, linking Cambridge with Leamington and spanning the Waikato River.

Lake Whangape is shallow, supertrophic, lateral and the second largest lake in the lower Waikato River basin in New Zealand. One source said the name translated to 'a large sheet of water', another that it was a chief's name.

The Mangatangi River, or Mangatangi Stream, originates on the eastern slopes of the Hunua Ranges in New Zealand and flows roughly southwards until it is joined by the Ruaotehuia Stream just north of State Highway 2 between Mangatāwhiri and Maramarua, where it becomes the Maramarua River. Mangatangi can be translated as manga tangi to stream of weeping, or as rippling stream, or babbling brook.

Lake Opuatia is a small lake in the much larger Opuatia wetland, which drains from the west into the Waikato River. It lies near the foot of a long valley drained by the Opuatia Stream.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitikahu</span> Locality in Waikato, New Zealand

Whitikahu is a settlement scattered along Whitikahu Rd in the Waikato District and Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moanatuatua Scientific Reserve</span>

Moanatuatua scientific reserve is a 140 ha remnant of restiad (Restionaceae) peatland in the North Island of New Zealand. The bog was formerly ~ 7500 ha in size and was one of several large peatlands surrounding the city of Hamilton. Widespread drainage and conversion to agriculture has left only this small remnant of what was formerly the dominant ecosystem in the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hapuakohe Range</span>

Hapuakohe Range of hills is aligned north–south, between the Waikato River and the Hauraki Plains in the Waikato region of New Zealand. It is separated from the Taupiri Range by an air-gap at Mangawara, where the Waikato flowed about 20,000 years ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Te Rore</span> Locality in Waikato region, New Zealand

Te Rore was in the 1850s an important transhipment point on New Zealand's Waipā River, between the agriculture of the Waikato basin and its Auckland market. That was ended in 1864 by the Invasion of the Waikato, when Te Rore was, for a few months, part of the supply route to four redoubts set up nearby. It is now a rural community in the Waipa District, 6 km (3.7 mi) north of Pirongia and roughly the same distance south of Ngāhinapōuri on State Highway 39.

References

  1. "Waikato Regional Council's website has been updated". Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  2. "Floodwater storage: Lower Waikato-Waipa control scheme: The economic values of Whangamarino Wetland publication". Archived from the original on 23 March 2010. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  3. "The economic values of Whangamarino Wetland" (PDF). Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  4. "Highways Information Sheet 025-0127" (PDF). Auckland Motorways.
  5. "Ontrack Bridge 298 Project Award - McConnell Dowell" . Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  6. "Highway Information Sheet 01N-0486 (I)" (PDF). Auckland Motorways. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 December 2017.

37°18′S175°05′E / 37.300°S 175.083°E / -37.300; 175.083