The Moawhango River is a tributary of the
Rangitīkei River
The Rangitīkei River is one of New Zealand's longest rivers, long.
Its headwaters are to the southeast of Lake Taupō in the Kaimanawa Ranges. It flows from the Central Plateau south past Taihape, Mangaweka, Hunterville, Marton, and Bu ...
and is located the central
North Island
The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...
of New Zealand.
Course
The river flows generally southwest from its sources in the
Kaimanawa Range east of
Mount Ruapehu to reach
Lake Moawhango
Lake Moawhango is a small artificial lake located with the New Zealand Army's Waiouru Military Camp. It is fed by the Mangaio Stream, boosted by tributaries diverted from the slopes of Mt Ruapehu, and by the Moawhango River. Water is taken from th ...
. Lake Moawhango was formed by a dam in the New Zealand Defence Force's
Waiouru Military Camp training area at the southern end of the
Rangipo Desert
Te Onetapu, commonly known as the Rangipo Desert, is a barren desert-like environment in New Zealand, located in the Ruapehu District on the North Island Volcanic Plateau; to the east of the three active peaks of Mount Tongariro, Mount Ngauruhoe ...
, north of
Waiouru. The dam was constructed to divert some water from the river for the
Tongariro Power Scheme, while some is released to continue down the Moawhango River. From here, the river flows southeast, passing the small settlement of
Moawhango before its outflow into the
Rangitikei River Rangitikei may refer to the following in New Zealand:
* Rangitikei River, one of country's longest rivers
* Rangitikei District, a district council in the Manawatu-Wanganui Region
* Rangitīkei (New Zealand electorate), a current general electorate ...
southeast of
Taihape. This lower section of the river flows through steep sided gorges making it difficult to access.
Dam
Construction of the Moawhango River dam (known as Lake Moawhango) began in 1972 and was completed several years later. It forms part of the Tongariro Power Scheme with the water being diverted to the Rangipo power station. In 2008 complaints were made about impact of the diversion of water from the river, particularly silt build-up.
Gallery
File:Moawhango River at Lake Moawhango, New Zealand.jpg, Outfall from Lake Moawhango
File:Moawhango River downstream of Lake Moawhango, New Zealand.jpg, Moawhango River downstream of Lake Moawhango
Fishing
The river is noted for its predominantly brown and rainbow
trout
Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salmoni ...
.
Moawhango River fish
retrieved 19 November 2020
See also
* List of rivers of New Zealand
References
Rivers of Manawatū-Whanganui
Rivers of New Zealand
{{ManawatuWanganui-river-stub