The Whangamarino River is a lowland river of the Waikato Region 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 ...

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 ...

, draining the

Whangamarino Wetland The Whangamarino Wetland in the Waikato District is the second largest wetland complex of the North Island of New Zealand. Encompassing a total area of more than 7200 hectares, the Department of Conservation ''Te Papa Atawhai'' manages 5,923 hect ...

and associated farmland catchment. The river converges with the Waikato River just north of

Meremere Meremere is a small town in the northern Waikato region in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located on the east bank of the Waikato River, 50 kilometres north of Hamilton and 63 km south of Auckland. Meremere was the site of fighting ...

. The main tributary is the

Maramarua River The Maramarua River is in the north-eastern part of the Waikato District of New Zealand. It is formed by the confluence of the Mangatangi River and the Ruaotehuia Stream just north of State Highway 2 between Mangatawhiri and Maramarua. It flow ...

, which starts in the Hunua Ranges and forms the northern catchment of the Whangamarino River. The natural Whangamarino River system, especially the main branch (the southern catchment), has been highly modified due to the lower flood protection scheme of the lower Waikato River. Prior to these floodworks, the Whangamarino Catchment was unconnected with Lake Waikare. However, due to the Lower Waikato-Waipa Flood Control Scheme, constructed in the 1960s, Lake Waikare was transformed and used for flood retention storage when the nearby Waikato River was in flood. During flood events, the Waikato River now overflows into the transformed Lake Waikato via the Rangiriri Spillway (and the redirected Te Onetea Stream). When the Waikato River conditions are suitable, the flood waters are discharged from Lake Waikare into the Whangamarino River catchment through the artificial Pungarehu Canal. While the flood scheme has permanently changed the ecology of Lake Waikare, it has also provided broader benefits for the community.

Whangamarino Wetland

The Whangamarino River includes the large Whangamarino Wetland (5,193 hectares) which is the second largest bog and swamp wetland in the North Island of New Zealand (after the

Kopuatai Peat Dome The Kopuatai Peat Dome is a large peatland complex on the Hauraki Plains in the North Island of New Zealand. It consists of two raised domes, one in the north and the other in the south, that are up to three metres higher at the center than at t ...

). Due to human activity of draining the wetland for farming and the impact of the flood control scheme, the size of the wetland is about half its natural size. The wetland includes peat bog, swampland, mesotrophic lags, and open water river systems are managed as both Wetland and Wildlife Management reserves by the

Department of Conservation An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment ...

. Importantly, the Wetland is protected by under the

Ramsar Convention The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It i ...

(Wetland Protection Treaty).

Bridges

The main crossings of the river are - * SH2 on a bridge * NIMT railway on a bridge * SH1 on bridges built in 1981

References

External links

River level at Ropeway
* Water quality a
Island Block Rd
an
Jefferies Rd Bridge

Aerial photo of SH1 bridges
* {{Waikato Rivers of Waikato Waikato District Rivers of New Zealand Tributaries of the Waikato River

Whangamarino Wetland

Bridges

See also

References

External links