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 B ...

and is located the central

North Island The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...

of New Zealand.

Course

The river flows generally southwest from its sources in the Kaimanawa Range east of

Mount Ruapehu Mount Ruapehu (; English ) is an active stratovolcano at the southern end of the Taupō Volcanic Zone and North Island North Island Volcanic Plateau, volcanic plateau in New Zealand. It is northeast of Ohakune and southwest of the southern s ...

to reach Lake Moawhango. Lake Moawhango was formed by a dam in the New Zealand Defence Force's

Waiouru Military Camp Waiouru Military Camp is a camp of the New Zealand Army in the central North Island of New Zealand near Waiouru. All New Zealand Army soldiers complete their initial basic training, the All Arms Recruit Course (AARC), at 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 located 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, ...

, north of

Waiouru Waiouru is a small town in the Ruapehu District, in New Zealand's Manawatū-Whanganui region. It is located on the south-eastern North Island Volcanic Plateau, north of Palmerston North and 25 kilometres south-east of Mount Ruapehu. The tow ...

. The dam was constructed to divert some water from the river for the

Tongariro Power Scheme The Tongariro Power Scheme is a 360 megawatt, MW hydroelectricity scheme in the central North Island of New Zealand. The scheme diverts water from tributaries of the Rangitikei River, Rangitikei, Whangaehu River, Whangaehu, Whanganui, and Tongar ...

, while some is released to continue down the Moawhango River. From here, the river flows southeast, passing the small settlement of

Moawhango Moawhango is a rural community in the northern part of Rangitikei District of the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. It is situated north of Taihape and 91 km northeast of Marton, New Zealand, Marton. Nearby Moawhango ...

before its outflow into the

Rangitikei River Rangitikei may refer to the following in New Zealand: * Rangitīkei 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 Taihape is in the Rangitikei District of the North Island of New Zealand. It serves a large rural community. New Zealand State Highway 1, State Highway 1, which runs North to South through the centre of the North Island, passes through the town ...

. 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 (: trout) is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the ...

.Moawhango River fish
retrieved 19 November 2020

References

Rivers of Manawatū-Whanganui Rivers of New Zealand {{ManawatuWanganui-river-stub

Course

Dam

Gallery

Fishing

See also

References