Lake Ōmāpere is the largest

lake A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...

in the

Northland Region Northland (), officially the Northland Region, is the northernmost of New Zealand's 16 regions of New Zealand, local government regions. New Zealanders sometimes refer to it as the Winterless North because of its mild climate all throughout t ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. It is located to the North of

Kaikohe Kaikohe is the seat of the Far North District of New Zealand, situated on State Highway 12 about from Auckland, and about from Whangārei. It is the largest inland town and highest community above sea level in the Northland Region. With a pop ...

. The lake sits within the Kaikohe-Bay of Islands volcanic field. The lake was formed when an ancient lava flow blocked a valley, forming the northern shoreline. It is five kilometres in length and covers 12.3 km², however it is only 2.6 metres deep (and as low as 1.5 m during summer). The lake has few inflow streams, mostly in the southern part of the lake. The Utakura River (south-western margin) is the main outflow which goes to the

Hokianga Harbour The Hokianga is an area surrounding the Hokianga Harbour, also known as the Hokianga River, a long estuarine drowned valley on the west coast in the north of the North Island of New Zealand. The original name, still used by local Māori, is ...

. The lake catchment is predominantly pasture, with a few areas of native scrub and mature bush.

Culture and history

Lake Ōmāpere is of great cultural and environmental value to Māori tangata whenua. In May 1845 the Battle of Puketutu, an engagement of the

Flagstaff War The Flagstaff War, also known as Heke's War, Hōne Heke's Rebellion and the Northern War, was fought between 11 March 1845 and 11 January 1846 in and around the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. The conflict is best remembered for the actions of H� ...

, occurred at the pā of

Hōne Heke Hōne Wiremu Heke Pōkai ( 1807 – 7 August 1850), born Heke Pōkai and later often referred to as Hōne Heke, was a highly influential Māori rangatira (chief) of the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe) and a war leader in northern New Zealand; he was ...

at Puketutu, on the shores of Lake Ōmāpere. The lake level was lowered between 1903 and 1929, but by 1947 silting had restored much of its level.

Water quality and ecology

The water quality in the lake is generally poor and the lake is prone to blooms of toxic algae. The lake is monitored by

Northland Regional Council Northland (), officially the Northland Region, is the northernmost of New Zealand's 16 local government regions. New Zealanders sometimes refer to it as the Winterless North because of its mild climate all throughout the year. The major popu ...

, and the environmental information can be viewed on th
LAWA website
The Lake Ōmāpere Restoration and Management Project aims to develop and implement a voluntary lake management strategy that will work towards improving the health of the lake and help assist the Lake Omapere Trustees in their role as

kaitiaki Kaitiakitanga is a New Zealand Māori term used for the concept of guardianship of the sky, the sea, and the land. A kaitiaki is a guardian, and the process and practices of protecting and looking after the environment are referred to as k ...

References

External links

Restoring the Mauri of Lake Omapere
- video clip at NZ On Screen
Lake Omapere
Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa , National Library of New Zealand {{DEFAULTSORT:Omapere, Lake Far North District Lakes of the Northland Region Lava dammed lakes Kaikohe