The Cass River is an alpine river in the

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

region of the South Island of

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. It rises near the Cass Saddle in the

Craigieburn Forest Park Craigieburn Forest Park is a protected area in the South Island of New Zealand, adjacent to Arthur's Pass National Park to the north. The park is administered by the Department of Conservation, and features the Broken River Ski Area and the Crai ...

and flows generally northeast alongside the

Craigieburn Range The Craigieburn Range forms part of the Southern Alps in New Zealand's South Island. The range is located on the south banks of the Waimakariri River, south of Arthur's Pass and west of State Highway 73. The Craigieburn locality is adjacent to t ...

before turning north to meet the

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

. State Highway 73 and the Midland Line both cross the lower reaches of the river near a farming locality named Cass. A local landowner, P&E Ltd, applied to divert water from the Cass River and irrigate of high country land near

Lake Grassmere Lake Grassmere / Kapara Te Hau is a New Zealand waituna-type lagoon in the northeastern South Island, close to Cook Strait. The lake is used for the production of salt. Geography Lake Grassmere, south of Blenheim and south of the mouth of ...

. The consent was declined in March 2013 commissioners acting for

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

for "potential impact on landscape values and water quality". The river, railway station and settlement are named after Thomas Cass, chief surveyor of Canterbury Province from 1851 to 1867.Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th edition, 1979 p. 54

References

Rivers of Canterbury, New Zealand Rivers of New Zealand {{CanterburyNZ-river-stub