The Ūawa River is a river in the

Gisborne Region Gisborne District or the Gisborne Region (Māori: ''Te Tairāwhiti'' or ''Te Tai Rāwhiti'') is a local government area of northeastern New Zealand. It is governed by Gisborne District Council, a unitary authority (with the combined powers of ...

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 ...

. The river drains an area of consisting of predominately managed forestry land northwest of

Tolaga Bay Tolaga Bay () is both a bay and small town on the East Coast, New Zealand, East Coast of New Zealand's North Island located 45 kilometres northeast of Gisborne, New Zealand, Gisborne and 30 kilometres south of Tokomaru Bay. The region around th ...

. The river flows out into the Pacific at Tolaga Bay. The river is prone to flooding and has had significant issues with forestry slash.

Course

The ultimate source of the river is at the head of the Pangopango Stream near Tauwharepārae. The stream initially flows north and where it is joined by Ngapunarua Stream it becomes the upper section of the river, the Waiau River. The river meanders in a northerly direction through large areas of managed forestry before bending eastwards towards the settlement of Hikuwai. The middle section of the river is known as the

Hikuwai River The Hikuwai River is the name for the middle section of the Ūawa River in the Gisborne Region of New Zealand. The river flows south through a valley between two hill ridges to the north of Tolaga Bay, and for most of its length runs parallel wi ...

. This section begins at the confluence of the Waiau River and the Mangarākai Stream. The river flow south through this section, meandering through an area of farmland and the settlements of

Arero Arero is a woreda in Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Part of the Borena Zone, Arero is bordered on the southwest by Dire, on the west by Yabelo, on the north by Bule Hora, on the northeast by the Guji Zone, on the east by the Somali Region, and on the ...

and Mangatuna. State highway 2 follows the river valley through this section crossing the river four times. The lower section begins at the confluence of the Mangatokerau and the

. The river and meanders south for about passing the settlement of

Wharekaka Tolaga Bay () is both a bay and small town on the East Coast, New Zealand, East Coast of New Zealand's North Island located 45 kilometres northeast of Gisborne, New Zealand, Gisborne and 30 kilometres south of Tokomaru Bay. The region around th ...

before flowing into the sea at

Flooding

The catchment area of the river is prone to high rain falls when easterly weather systems make landfall from the Pacific Ocean. During

Cyclone Gabrielle Severe Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle was a powerful and destructive tropical cyclone that devastated parts of the North Island of New Zealand and affected parts of Vanuatu and Norfolk Island in February 2023. It is the costliest tropical cyclone ...

the monitoring river level at Willow Flat rose from an average two-metre height to a height of over .

References

{{reflist Rivers of the Gisborne District Rivers of New Zealand

Course

Flooding

See also

References