Recent from talks
Rangitaiki River
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Rangitaiki River
The Rangitaiki River, also known as the Rangitāiki River, is the longest river in the Bay of Plenty region in New Zealand's North Island. It is 155 kilometres (96 mi) long, and rises inland to the east of the Kaingaroa Forest in the Taupō District. The Rangitaiki catchment covers an area of 3,005 km2 (1,160 sq mi). It flows in a generally northeastward direction, passing through the town of Murupara and skirting close to the western edge of Te Urewera National Park before turning northwards, flowing past Edgecumbe and into the Bay of Plenty close to Thornton.
There are two man-made lakes on the Rangitaiki formed by hydro-electric dams, Lake Āniwaniwa (formerly Lake Aniwhenua). and Lake Matahina.
The river is 155 kilometres (96 mi) long, rising at an elevation of 740 metres (2,430 ft) above mean sea level, 32 kilometres (20 mi) east of Lake Taupō and 130 kilometres (81 mi) south of the Bay of Plenty coast. From its source in the Ahimanawa Ranges, at the confluence of the Tirikahu Stream and the outflow from Lake Pouarua, it flows for 64 kilometres (40 mi) across the Kaingaroa Plains towards Murupara.
Near the northern edge of the plains the river has been dammed by the Rangitāiki Dam, approximately 18 kilometres (11 mi) downstream of its confluence with the Wheao River. The dam diverts all but at least 0.5 cumecs into the Wheao and Flaxy power scheme, which discharges into Wheao River which joins the Rangitaiki upstream of Murupara. By the time it reaches the settlement at Murupara the river has a catchment of over 720 km (450 mi)2. Within 20 kilometres (12 mi) downstream of Murupara, two major tributaries, the Whirinaki River and the Horomanga River enter the river on the eastern side. The river then continues north over the Galatea Plains before it enters the man-made Lake Āniwaniwa, the waters of which power the Aniwhenua Power Station.
Below the power station the river passes over the Āniwaniwa Falls and then squeezes through a narrow chasm. Downstream of the dam, the main channel passes through a gorge and then out onto the Waiohau Plains and past the settlement of Waihau. Several small tributaries arising in the Ikawhenua Ranges cross the Waiohau Plains to join the Rangitaiki.
The river travels for 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) across the Waiohau Plains before it enters a gorge housing the man-made Lake Matahina the waters of which power the Matahina Power Station. No major tributaries enter the river downstream of the Lake Matahina. Below Matahina the Rangitaiki passes the village of Te Mahoe and through a well-defined valley before crossing the 29,000 ha Rangitaiki Plains and passing the settlements of Te Teko, Edgecumbe and Thornton. At Edgecumbe a large dairy factory owned by Fonterra discharges waste products into the river. The river finally enters the sea at Thornton through a man-made 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) long channel.
The arrival of Europeans in the area lead to draining of wetland and low-lying areas along the river to create usable agricultural and horticultural lands. To support these activities the Rangitaiki Land Drainage Act was passed in 1910. Once the Rangitaiki plains approximately 40,000 hectares of wetland was drained and converted to farmland. At the same time the existing dual discharges of the river towards the Whakatāne River to the east and the Tarawera River estuary to the west were replaced by the cutting of a channel near Thornton to provide a new direct outlet for the Rangitaiki to the sea. Within a day of the new outlet being opened in May 1914, the level of the Rangitaiki in the lower sections of the Rangitaiki Plains area dropped by approximately1.5 metres (4.9 ft). This fall of the river level encouraged further agricultural and horticultural development in this area following the end of World War I.
The development of flood control, mitigation schemes and drainage schemes was undertaken due to the requirements of the Land Drainage Act 1908, Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Act 1941, and specificity for the Rangitaiki catchment Rangitaiki Land Drainage Act 1910 and the Rangitāiki Land Drainage Act 1956. To assist in controlling floods settlements and productive land downstream of Te Teko is protected by a system of stopbanks (also known as floodbanks). These are designed to provide protection from a 1% Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) flood (also known as the “100 year” flood).
Hub AI
Rangitaiki River AI simulator
(@Rangitaiki River_simulator)
Rangitaiki River
The Rangitaiki River, also known as the Rangitāiki River, is the longest river in the Bay of Plenty region in New Zealand's North Island. It is 155 kilometres (96 mi) long, and rises inland to the east of the Kaingaroa Forest in the Taupō District. The Rangitaiki catchment covers an area of 3,005 km2 (1,160 sq mi). It flows in a generally northeastward direction, passing through the town of Murupara and skirting close to the western edge of Te Urewera National Park before turning northwards, flowing past Edgecumbe and into the Bay of Plenty close to Thornton.
There are two man-made lakes on the Rangitaiki formed by hydro-electric dams, Lake Āniwaniwa (formerly Lake Aniwhenua). and Lake Matahina.
The river is 155 kilometres (96 mi) long, rising at an elevation of 740 metres (2,430 ft) above mean sea level, 32 kilometres (20 mi) east of Lake Taupō and 130 kilometres (81 mi) south of the Bay of Plenty coast. From its source in the Ahimanawa Ranges, at the confluence of the Tirikahu Stream and the outflow from Lake Pouarua, it flows for 64 kilometres (40 mi) across the Kaingaroa Plains towards Murupara.
Near the northern edge of the plains the river has been dammed by the Rangitāiki Dam, approximately 18 kilometres (11 mi) downstream of its confluence with the Wheao River. The dam diverts all but at least 0.5 cumecs into the Wheao and Flaxy power scheme, which discharges into Wheao River which joins the Rangitaiki upstream of Murupara. By the time it reaches the settlement at Murupara the river has a catchment of over 720 km (450 mi)2. Within 20 kilometres (12 mi) downstream of Murupara, two major tributaries, the Whirinaki River and the Horomanga River enter the river on the eastern side. The river then continues north over the Galatea Plains before it enters the man-made Lake Āniwaniwa, the waters of which power the Aniwhenua Power Station.
Below the power station the river passes over the Āniwaniwa Falls and then squeezes through a narrow chasm. Downstream of the dam, the main channel passes through a gorge and then out onto the Waiohau Plains and past the settlement of Waihau. Several small tributaries arising in the Ikawhenua Ranges cross the Waiohau Plains to join the Rangitaiki.
The river travels for 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) across the Waiohau Plains before it enters a gorge housing the man-made Lake Matahina the waters of which power the Matahina Power Station. No major tributaries enter the river downstream of the Lake Matahina. Below Matahina the Rangitaiki passes the village of Te Mahoe and through a well-defined valley before crossing the 29,000 ha Rangitaiki Plains and passing the settlements of Te Teko, Edgecumbe and Thornton. At Edgecumbe a large dairy factory owned by Fonterra discharges waste products into the river. The river finally enters the sea at Thornton through a man-made 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) long channel.
The arrival of Europeans in the area lead to draining of wetland and low-lying areas along the river to create usable agricultural and horticultural lands. To support these activities the Rangitaiki Land Drainage Act was passed in 1910. Once the Rangitaiki plains approximately 40,000 hectares of wetland was drained and converted to farmland. At the same time the existing dual discharges of the river towards the Whakatāne River to the east and the Tarawera River estuary to the west were replaced by the cutting of a channel near Thornton to provide a new direct outlet for the Rangitaiki to the sea. Within a day of the new outlet being opened in May 1914, the level of the Rangitaiki in the lower sections of the Rangitaiki Plains area dropped by approximately1.5 metres (4.9 ft). This fall of the river level encouraged further agricultural and horticultural development in this area following the end of World War I.
The development of flood control, mitigation schemes and drainage schemes was undertaken due to the requirements of the Land Drainage Act 1908, Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Act 1941, and specificity for the Rangitaiki catchment Rangitaiki Land Drainage Act 1910 and the Rangitāiki Land Drainage Act 1956. To assist in controlling floods settlements and productive land downstream of Te Teko is protected by a system of stopbanks (also known as floodbanks). These are designed to provide protection from a 1% Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) flood (also known as the “100 year” flood).
Recent media