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Awaroa River (Kawhia Harbour tributary)

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Coordinates: 38°05′23″S 174°54′54″E / 38.08972°S 174.91500°E / -38.08972; 174.91500
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Awaroa River
Awaroa River bridge and Hauturu in 2019
Awaroa River (Kawhia Harbour tributary) is located in New Zealand
Awaroa River (Kawhia Harbour tributary)
Location
CountryNew Zealand
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationnear Te Koraha
 • elevation519 m (1,703 ft)
Mouth 
 • location
Kawhia Harbour
 • coordinates
38°05′23″S 174°54′54″E / 38.08972°S 174.91500°E / -38.08972; 174.91500
 • elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Length28 km (17 mi)
Basin size109 km2 (42 sq mi)

The Awaroa River is a river in the Ōtorohanga District on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island. It flows north from its source near Te Koraha through Hauturu to Kawhia Harbour.[1] The river passes through both pasture and indigenous forest.[2] Over half of the river is in forest.[3]

The name translates to "long river".[4] It is a name used by 33 other locations,[5] including two waterways in Northland (Awaroa River and another, rather longer, flowing into the Wairoa River), a river north of Kaiteriteri[5] and 9 in Waikato Region (Awaroa River and 2 streams, flowing into the Waikato,[6] one flowing into Lake Whangape, another into Lake Waahi, another stream flowing into the Piako River, 2 Awaroa Streams in Coromandel, one flowing into Kennedy Bay[5] and a tributary of the Opitonui River).[7]

The bridge carrying Harbour Road over the river was originally built in 1930.[8] In 1922 a launch ran from Kawhia to Awaroa, with a coach connection to Ōtorohanga.[9]

Veronica scopulorum ‘Awaroa’ is a naturally uncommon hebe, endemic to about half a dozen limestone outcrops in the head waters of the Awaroa River and northern Taumatatotara Range.[10] It is threatened by weed invasion, forest degradation and goat and possum browse.[11]

Awaroa Scenic Reserve, at the river's estuary,[12] covers 692.84 ha (1,712.0 acres)[13] and has the fern Ophioglossum coriaceum, the orchid Bulbophyllum tuberculatum and the mistletoe Peraxilla tetrapetala.[14] The estuary upstream from Uenukutuhatu Rock has mangrove, seagrass, freshwater marsh clubrush and regenerating bush, with invasive black locust trees.[15]

Some coal was discovered in the valley in 1903,[16] but its quality was too poor to mine.[17]

The river was once used for navigation; in 1924 launch owners asked for willows to be removed.[18] A 1981 report said the willows didn't hinder navigation, but launches could only go as far as the road bridge.[19]

References

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  1. ^ "Awaroa River, Waikato". NZ Topo Map. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Environmental monitoring data for Awaroa River". Land, Air, Water Aotearoa (LAWA). Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  3. ^ "Hydrodynamic Model Calibration of the West Coast Harbours" (PDF). Waikato Regional Council. August 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 February 2021.
  4. ^ "1000 Māori place names – Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week NZHistory online". nzhistory.govt.nz. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  5. ^ a b c "New Zealand Gazetteer: Search for Place Names". Land Information New Zealand (LINZ). Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  6. ^ "Awaroa River at Hauturu Road Bridge". www.lawa.org.nz. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  7. ^ "Minimum Flows for Ecosystem Health in Selected Coromandel Streams" (PDF). Environment Waikato. 2007.
  8. ^ "BACKBLOCR AMENITIES. KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 29 March 1930. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  9. ^ "WAIPA POST". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 2 November 1922. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  10. ^ "Significant natural areas of the Otorohanga district: terrestrial and wetland ecosystems Technical Report 2016/36" (PDF). Waikato Regional Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 February 2021.
  11. ^ "Veronica scopulorum". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  12. ^ "Kawhia Harbour (Awaroa) Scenic Reserve, WK, NZ". iNaturalist. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  13. ^ "Waikato Regional Council Technical Report 2016/36 Significant natural areas of the Otorohanga district: terrestrial and wetland ecosystems" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 June 2021.
  14. ^ "N.Z. Botanical Society Newsletter" (PDF). June 1987. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 January 2016.
  15. ^ "Estuarine Vegetation Survey – Kawhia Harbour" (PDF). 2005. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 February 2021.
  16. ^ "KAWHIA COAL DEPOSITS. WAIKATO ARGUS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 7 February 1903. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  17. ^ "Kawhia Coalmine WAIKATO ARGUS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 31 August 1910. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  18. ^ "Kawhia Harbour Board KAWHIA SETTLER AND RAGLAN ADVERTISER". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 25 January 1924. Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  19. ^ G.D. & J.H. Egarr (1981). "New Zealand Recreational River Survey Pnrt Il" (PDF). NIWA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 April 2021.
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