Waikato River
Waikato River passing through Hamilton
Origin	Lake Taupo
Mouth	Port Waikato
Basin countries	New Zealand
Length	425 km (264 mi)
Source elevation	unknown m (unknown ft)
Avg. discharge	unknown m³/s (unknown ft³/s)
Basin area	unknown km² (unknown mi²)

The Waikato River system

The Waikato River is the longest river in New Zealand. In the North Island, it runs for 425 kilometres from the eastern slopes of Mount Ruapehu, joining the Tongariro River system and emptying into Lake Taupo, New Zealand's largest lake. It drains Taupo at the lake's northeastern edge, creates the Huka Falls, then 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. Download high resolution version (750x758, 128 KB)Waikato River passing through Hamilton, NZ. Photo taken August, 2003 copyright Richard Gallagher. ... Hamilton (Kirikiriroa in Māori) is the centre of New Zealands fourth largest urban area, and is the countrys seventh largest city. ... [[ == Headline text == This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Lake Taupo is a lake situated in the North Island of New Zealand. ... Port Waikato is located at the south bank of the outflow of the Waikato River into the Tasman Sea, in northern New Zealand. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... [[ == Headline text == This article does not cite its references or sources. ... In hydrology, the discharge of a river is the volume of water transported by it in a certain amount of time. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1003x1457, 242 KB)Location map of the Waikato River, New Zealand File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1003x1457, 242 KB)Location map of the Waikato River, New Zealand File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... North Island The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, the other being the South Island. ... Composite satellite image of Ruapehu Mount Ruapehu, or just Ruapehu, is an active stratovolcano, situated at the southern end of the Taupo Volcanic Zone in New Zealand. ... Looking south towards the Hydro Pool The Tongariro River is a river in the North Island of New Zealand. ... Lake Taupo is a lake situated in the North Island of New Zealand. ... The Huka Falls. ... The Waikato Plains are a large area of low-lying land in the northwest of the North Island of New Zealand. ... fuck you Map of the Tasman Sea Satellite photo of the Tasman Sea The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, some 2000 kilometres (1250 miles) across. ... Schematic map of Auckland. ... Port Waikato is located at the south bank of the outflow of the Waikato River into the Tasman Sea, in northern New Zealand. ... Waikato is the name of a region in the North Island of New Zealand. ...

The river's main tributary is the Waipa River, which has its confluence with the Waikato at Ngaruawahia. The Waipa River is located in the Waikato region in the North Island of New Zealand. ... Waikato River, passing through Ngāruawāhia A loose translation of the word Ngāruawāhia (Wāhia-ngā-rua) means the place of the two rivers in Māori, a reference to the joining of the Waipa and Waikato rivers. ...

The name Waikato comes from Māori and translates as flowing water. Māori or Te Reo Māori, commonly shortened to Te Reo (literally the language) is an official language of New Zealand. ...

The Waikato River has spiritual meaning for various local Māori tribes including the large Tainui, who regard it as a source of their mana or pride. The widely-respected marae of Turangawaewae is close to its banks at Ngaruawahia. Languages Māori, English Religions Māori religion, Christianity Related ethnic groups other Polynesian peoples, Austronesian peoples The word Māori refers to the indigenous Polynesian peoples of New Zealand, and to their language. ... Tainui is a Maori Iwi Waka Confederation of New Zealand. ... Mana is a traditional term that refers to a concept among the speakers of Oceanic languages, including Melanesians, Polynesians, and Micronesians. ... A Maori word now common in New Zealand English, marae refers an area of land where the Wharenui or meeting house (literally big house) sits. ... Turangawaewae is the National Marae of New Zealand. ...

For many years Tainui tribe have sought to re-establish their links to the river after the wars (See Invasion of Waikato) and the subsequent illegal confiscations of the 1860's, and are continuing negotiations with the current New Zealand government. Combatants British Colonial Governments Army and their Māori allies Māori King Movement Forces and various allied North Island tribes Commanders Sir Duncan Cameron Waikato chiefs including Rewi Maniapoto Strength 2,000 British troops unknown British-allied Māori troops ~500 troops, including 170 from Ngāti Porou...

Uses of the river

As well as being a water and recreation resource, the river has long been a critical communications and transport link for the communities along it. Taupo, Mangakino, Cambridge, Hamilton,Horotiu, Ngaruawahia, Huntly, Hampton Downs, Meremere, Waiuku and Port Waikato are on or close to it. Taupo (Māori pronunciation - IPA: ) is a small urban area in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. ... Mangakino is a small town on the banks of the Waikato River in the North Island of New Zealand. ... Cambridge is a town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. ... Hamilton (Kirikiriroa in Māori) is the centre of New Zealands fourth largest urban area, and is the countrys seventh largest city. ... Waikato River, passing through Ngāruawāhia A loose translation of the word Ngāruawāhia (Wāhia-ngā-rua) means the place of the two rivers in Māori, a reference to the joining of the Waipa and Waikato rivers. ... Huntly Power Station on the western bank of the Waikato River Huntly (population 7,067) is a town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. ...

The river was of military significance in the land wars between British and Māori soldiers around 1863, and significant battles were fought at points including Rangiriri. A pleasant cemetery containing the graves of the British military dead can be found there opposite the hotel, shops and cafe.

A ferry service along part of its length was for years conducted by Cesar Roose, several of whose descendants still live beside it.

Electricity Generation

The first hydro-electric power station was built at Horahora, now located under the Horahora bridge deep beneath the surface of lake Karapiro. Horahora was built to supply electricity for the Martha gold mines at Waihi. Waihi is a town in the North Island of New Zealand. ...

The river has a series of eight hydroelectric power stations that generate electricity for the national grid. Between 1929 and 1971, eight dams and nine powerhouses were built to meet growing demand for electricity.

The power scheme begins at Lake Taupo, which has control gates to regulate the flow of water into the river. Once released through the gates it takes nearly 18 hours for the water to flow to the Tasman Sea. On its journey downstream it passes through power stations at Aratiatia, Ohakuri, Atiamuri, Whakamaru, Maraetai,Waipapa, Arapuni and Karapiro. Ohakuri Dam Ohakuri is a hydroelectric power station on the Waikato River, central North Island, New Zealand, midway between Taupo, Rotorua and Hamilton. ... Atiamuri is a hydroelectric power station on the Waikato River, central North Island, New Zealand, midway between Taupo, Rotorua and Hamilton. ... Whakamaru was set up as accommodation for the Whakamaru Hydro Power Station in New Zealand. ... Maraetai is one of the towns which make up Manukau city and is the easternmost suburb of greater Auckland in New Zealand. ... Waipapa is a small township in the Bay of Islands, of Northland New Zealand. ... Arapuni is a town on the Waikato river in the South Waikato District of New Zealand. ...

Approximately 4000 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity is generated annually by the scheme, which is around 13% of New Zealand's total electrical generating capacity. The watt-hour (symbol W·h) is a unit of energy. ...

The river also provides cooling water for the coal/gas fired thermal power station at Huntly Huntly Power Station on the western bank of the Waikato River Huntly (population 7,067) is a town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. ...

Recreation

The Waikato is renowned among whitewater kayak enthusiasts, specifically for the Full James rapid located north of Taupo. The Full James was the site of the 1999 World Whitewater Championships, as well as the pre-World event the year before. Taupo (Māori pronunciation - IPA: ) is a small urban area in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. ...

Environmental Issues

The whole length of the river is administered by the elected local body the Waikato Regional Council, or "Environment Waikato", based in Hamilton.

Several major problems currently face the river.

One is pollution due to agricultural additives found in runoff from some intensively farmed land used in its catchment area. Dairy farming is one of the causes of this pollution. Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or more properly, an animal husbandry enterprise, raising female cattle, goats, or other lactating animals for long-term production of milk, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy for processing and eventual retail sale. ...

Recently-controversial was the pumping of water from a point near the seaward end of the river further north to Auckland. This is somewhat purified and used for a portion of the city's domestic water supply. Schematic map of Auckland. ...

Another problem is the silting-up of what used to be a navigable channel in the river with loose soils from eroded hillsides.

Slightly-modified human wastes are pumped into the river down-river of several towns including Hamilton.

A further issue is industrial and metropolitan waste from early-established landfills and waste-emitting factories on the banks of the river.

These include an unlined waste dump at Horotiu, just down-river from Hamilton, whose leachates include dieldrin in quantities toxic to fresh-water marine life. Tribes at the northern point of the river who took legal action to oppose the continued operation of this dump spoke of finding many dead, disordered and distressed fish near their tribal lands.

External links

• Whitewater kayaking on the Waikato