The Selwyn River (, officially gazetted as Selwyn River / Waikirikiri) flows through the Selwyn District of Canterbury in the

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

of New Zealand.

Description

The river has its source in the Southern Alps and flows east for before emptying into

Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora is a broad, shallow coastal lake or waituna, in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is directly to the west of Banks Peninsula, separated from the Pacific Ocean by the long, narrow, sandy K ...

, south of

Banks Peninsula Banks Peninsula is a peninsula of volcanic origin on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It has an area of approximately and encompasses two large harbours and many smaller bays and coves. The South Island's largest cit ...

. Terrace cliffs above the river's upper reaches gave the town of Whitecliffs its name. For much of its course the river flows through wide shingle channels. In drought years, the river can disappear beneath this bed and seem to dry up completely. This frequently occurs where State Highway 1 crosses the river at the settlement of Selwyn, about upstream from its outflow into

Lake Ellesmere Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora is a broad, shallow coastal lake or waituna, in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is directly to the west of Banks Peninsula, separated from the Pacific Ocean by the long, narrow, sandy K ...

. In the foothills, the Selwyn flows year-round. On the plains, the riverbed is highly permeable, and the river overlays a deep and porous aquifer. As soon as the river reaches the plains, water begins leaking down through the bed and into the aquifer. In most months, all river-water disappears within of leaving the foothills. The next of the river remains dry for most of the year, apart from a small section around the confluence with the permanently flowing

Hororata River The Hororata River is a river of Canterbury, in the South Island of New Zealand. A tributary of the Selwyn River, the Hororata has its sources in rough hill country north of Windwhistle, and flows east through the township of Hororata before reac ...

. About upstream from

shallow groundwater rises back to the surface, and the Selwyn becomes permanent again.

Bridges

There are six bridges that cross the Selwyn River. These are at: Whitecliffs (Whitecliffs Road), Glentunnel ( SH 77), Coalgate (Hororata Road),

Hororata Hororata is a village at the northwestern edge of the Canterbury Plains in the South Island of New Zealand. It is located 15 kilometres southwest of Darfield, New Zealand, Darfield, five kilometres south of Glentunnel, and 50 kilometre ...

(Bealey Road), Selwyn ( SH 1) and Irwell (Leeston Road). It is also possible to cross at

Coes Ford Coes is a surname and given name which may refer to: * Coes of Mytilene, 6th century Greek tyrant * Ben Coes (born 1966), American novelist * George H. Coes (1828–1897), American minstrel music performer * Harold V. Coes (1883–1959), Americ ...

when the river is not in flood. Chamberlains Ford is no longer a ford. The nearby Irwell bridge provides access to the other side of the river.

Ecology

Disappearing river flows have significant ecological effects: when the river’s surface water disappears, so does the habitat for many aquatic plants and animals. In response to loss of surface water, aquatic invertebrates and fish must disperse, seek refuge in remnant aquatic habitats, or die. Aquatic plants, algae, and bacteria must form resting stages or die. The dry central reaches of the Selwyn River also constitute a significant barrier for dispersal of invertebrates and for fish migrating between Lake Ellesmere and the headwaters.

Fishing

The Selwyn river was viewed historically as one of New Zealand’s best trout fisheries. In the 1960s a trout trap at Coes Ford was reported to count up to 14,000 returning spawning trout. In 2017, the numbers have declined to the stage that only dozens of trout could be counted when returning to spawn. The fish in the river have been described as low in number and the majority of the fish are quite small.

Pollution

The Canterbury Regional Council (ECan) has permitted intensive dairy farming around Selwyn and it has been suggested that this has led to a deterioration in the water quality of the Selwyn river. In May 2021, it was reported that Nitrate levels in the Selwyn River has increased by 50%. It is no longer recommended that people go swimming in the Selwyn River. Coes Ford was once a well known swimming spot in Canterbury. The water at Coes Ford was reported to be in the worst 25% in New Zealand for total nitrate levels in 2020. The pollution at Coes Ford is thought to come from Silverstream creek, which used surrounded by many of the dairy farms in the area. Chamberlain's Ford which crosses the Selwyn RIver had an algal bloom health warning issued in December 2020. There were benthic cyanobacteria found in the river. Algal Blooms of benthic cyanobacteria have also been reported at in the Selwyn river at Whitecliffs Domain and Whitecliffs Road in March 2021. Greenpeace placed billboards in the Selwyn River to protest the degree of pollution in it in February 2020.

Naming

The Selwyn River and its gorge were named in 1849 by the chief surveyor of the Canterbury Association, Joseph Thomas, for Bishop Selwyn. The name was later adopted for the township, the district, and an electorate. The New Zealand

Ministry for Culture and Heritage The Ministry for Culture and Heritage (MCH; ) is the department of the New Zealand Government responsible for supporting the arts, culture, built heritage, sport and recreation, and broadcasting sectors in New Zealand and advising government on ...

gives a translation of "gravelly stream" for .

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Selwyn River Waikirikiri Rivers of Canterbury, New Zealand Rivers of New Zealand Braided rivers in New Zealand