The Water of Leith (also known as Ōwheo, the River Leith, Leith Stream or Leith Canal), is a small river in the
South Island
The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...
of New Zealand.
It rises to the north of the city of
Dunedin
Dunedin ( ; ) is the second-most populous city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from ("fort of Edin"), the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of S ...
, flowing for southeast through the
northern part of the city and the campus of the
University of Otago
The University of Otago () is a public university, public research university, research collegiate university based in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Founded in 1869, Otago is New Zealand's oldest university and one of the oldest universities in ...
before reaching the
Otago Harbour
Otago Harbour is the harbor, natural harbour of Dunedin, New Zealand, consisting of a long, much-indented stretch of generally navigable water separating the Otago Peninsula from the mainland. They join at its southwest end, from the harbour m ...
. The name of the city of Dunedin is the anglicised form of ''Dùn Èideann'' which is the
Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...
form of the name ''
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
'', and thus the river is also named for the
Water of Leith
The Water of Leith (Scottish Gaelic: ''Uisge Lìte'') is the main river flowing through central Edinburgh, Scotland, that starts in the Pentlands Hills and flows into the port of Leith and then into the sea via the Firth of Forth.
Name
The ...
which runs through the
Scottish
Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including:
*Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland
*Scottish English
*Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
capital. The original
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
name for the stream was ''Ōwheo'' ("The place of Wheo"), Wheo being the name of a local chief whose village stood close to its mouth.
[Herd, J., and Griffiths, G.J. (1980). ''Discovering Dunedin.'' Dunedin: John McIndoe.] This name is now rarely used (but the university's computer science department building is named after it).
Course
The Leith's source is close to the
Dunedin Northern Motorway, part of
State Highway 1, south of
Leith Saddle, at an elevation of some above sea level.
[Hamel, A. (2008). ''Dunedin tracks and trails.'' Dunedin: Silver Peaks Press.] The motorway passes over the Leith Saddle, which lies between the sources of the Leith and the
Waitati River, approximately halfway between the northern suburb of
Pine Hill and the outlying settlement of
Waitati.
From here, the Leith flows south, skirting a
water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Th ...
reservoir
A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation.
Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...
formed behind
Sullivan's Dam, which was constructed in 1916.
[ This reservoir, along with the Ross Creek Reservoir on the Ross Creek, one of the Leith's tributaries, provides much of Dunedin's drinking water.
From the southern end of the Sullivan's Dam reservoir, the Leith flows southwest, passing under the motorway and through the wooded Leith Valley. A gravel road parallels the course of this stretch of the river, becoming asphalted close to the point where the Leith meets the urban parts of the city at Glenleith. Several small tributaries join the Leith on this stretch, notably Morrison's Burn.
As it reaches urban Dunedin, the river is often only a modest stream, partly because of the quantity of water abstracted upstream. Much of the northern part of Dunedin's inner city area is situated on the river's floodplain.
The first of the Leith's two main tributaries, Ross Creek, joins the Leith between the suburbs of Glenleith and Woodhaugh. The Ross Creek Reservoir, a historic engineering project, is surrounded by numerous popular bush walks. Much of the upper Leith Valley is also crossed by less well-known bush tracks, though part of the upper reaches are closed to the public due to their importance for water catchment purposes. Close to this confluence, the remains can be seen of watermills which were used at Woodhaugh, which—though now a sleepy suburb—was once the industrial heart of the city.][Dann, C., & Peat, N. (1989). ''Dunedin, North and South Otago.'' Wellington: GP Books.] From here, the Leith turns to the southeast, passing through a public park, Woodhaugh Gardens, as its floodplain begins to widen. At this point, the floodplain is less than a kilometre in width, and is bordered by steep cliffs to the southwest.
The lower reaches of the Leith are contained within engineered, canal
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...
-like concrete channels. These, and the various weirs located in the Leith's stream—notably just to the north of Woodhaugh Gardens, were built to prevent a repeat of the serious damage to Dunedin North
Dunedin North, also known as North Dunedin, is a major inner suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin, located northeast of the city centre. It contains many of the city's major institutions, including the city's university, polytechnic, ...
by the highest recorded flood in March 1929. An earlier devastating flood occurred on the river in 1868. The original course of the Leith was, in fact, a meandering track through what is now the central city, emptying into the upper harbour where Cumberland and Stuart Streets now meet.
The Leith enters the wider plain which is the location of Dunedin's most intensely urbanised area at the southeastern end of Woodhaugh Gardens, close to the northernmost point of the city's main street, George Street. From here, it winds around the northern edge of the floodplain, skirting the Dunedin Botanic Gardens, where it is joined by its other main tributary, Lindsay Creek. This small stream flows from the southern slopes of Mount Cargill, through Bethune's Gully and along North East Valley before crossing the Botanic Gardens and connecting with the Leith. A bronze statue of a trout in the Botanic Gardens commemorates the first liberation into a New Zealand river of brown trout
The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a species of salmonid ray-finned fish and the most widely distributed species of the genus ''Salmo'', endemic to most of Europe, West Asia and parts of North Africa, and has been widely introduced globally ...
, imported from Tasmania
Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...
in 1869.
The Leith then turns south, flowing through the heart of the University of Otago
The University of Otago () is a public university, public research university, research collegiate university based in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Founded in 1869, Otago is New Zealand's oldest university and one of the oldest universities in ...
campus at which point it veers east, passing the campus of Otago Polytechnic
Otago Polytechnic is a public Education in New Zealand#Tertiary education, New Zealand tertiary education institute, centred in Dunedin with additional campuses in Cromwell, New Zealand, Cromwell and Auckland. Otago Polytechnic provides career-f ...
and the Dunedin College of Education and then Forsyth Barr Stadium
Forsyth Barr Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Dunedin, New Zealand. At various stages of development it was also known as Dunedin Stadium or Awatea Street Stadium, or its non-commercial official name during the 2011 Rugby World Cup and 2 ...
before reaching the Otago Harbour
Otago Harbour is the harbor, natural harbour of Dunedin, New Zealand, consisting of a long, much-indented stretch of generally navigable water separating the Otago Peninsula from the mainland. They join at its southwest end, from the harbour m ...
south of Logan Park.
In 2018 a new cable stay footbridge was erected over the mouth of the Water of Leith (between the state highway bridge and the harbour). The Water of Leith Footbridge was commissioned by Dunedin City Council with funding from NZ Transport Agency. The project was a "Design and Construct" project costing NZ$1.4M. Design commenced in January 2018 and construction was completed in December 2018. The bridge spans 45m over the Leith and was constructed by Edifice Structures and designed by DC Structures Studio.
In the early 20th Century, the watercourse was referred to as the "Leith Canal" in legislation (such as the Otago Harbour Board Empowering Act 1939) and in newspapers; this name is now rarely used.
Gallery
Leith Sullivan's Dam.JPG, The headwaters of the Water of Leith are diverted around Sullivan's Dam in a series of concrete water races
Leith Stream, Dunedin, NZ, high flow.jpg, The Water of Leith by the University of Otago
The University of Otago () is a public university, public research university, research collegiate university based in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Founded in 1869, Otago is New Zealand's oldest university and one of the oldest universities in ...
after of rain had fallen in a 24-hour period
Water of Leith Dunedin.jpg, Water of Leith close to its mouth in Dunedin
St David Street Footbridge and Leith Stream, Dunedin, NZ.JPG, St David Street Footbridge at the University of Otago
Union Street Bridge and Leith Stream, Dunedin, NZ.jpg, The University of Otago Stone Bridge, also known as the Union Street Bridge
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leith, Water Of
Rivers of Dunedin
Leith Valley
Otago Harbour