The Mararoa River is one of the
braided river
A braided river, or braided channel, consists of a network of river channels separated by small, often temporary, islands called braid bars or, in English usage, '' aits'' or ''eyots''.
Braided streams tend to occur in rivers with high sedime ...
s of the
Southland Region
Southland ( mi, Murihiku) is New Zealand's southernmost region. It consists mainly of the southwestern portion of the South Island and Stewart Island/Rakiura. It includes Southland District, Gore District and the city of Invercargill. T ...
of the
South Island
The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasma ...
of
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...
.
The New Zealand
Ministry for Culture and Heritage
The Ministry for Culture and Heritage (MCH; ) is the department of the New Zealand Government responsible for supporting the arts, culture, built heritage, sport and recreation, and broadcasting sectors in New Zealand and advising government on s ...
gives a translation of "long-lasting cultivations" for ''Māraroa''.
Description
The river feeds into the
Mavora Lakes
Mavora Lakes is a protected area in the South Island of New Zealand consisting of two lakes: North Mavora and South Mavora. The lakes are drained by the Mararoa River. The area is managed by the Department of Conservation, and is part of Te Wahip ...
and discharges into the
Waiau River eight kilometres downstream from where it leaves
Lake Manapouri. Water from the Mararoa River is fed into the Waiau River by a control structure at the confluence of the two rivers.
This is used to control the level of Lake Manapouri for hydroelectric power generation.
The river has been identified as an
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations.
IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...
by
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...
because it supports breeding colonies of the
endangered
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...
black-billed gull.
Didymo
''Didymosphenia geminata'', commonly known as didymo or rock snot, is a species of diatom that produces nuisance growths in freshwater rivers and streams with consistently cold water temperatures and low nutrient levels. It is native to the nort ...
, an invasive organism discovered in New Zealand in 2004, has been found in the river.
See also
*
List of rivers of New Zealand
This is a list of all waterways named as rivers in New Zealand.
A
* Aan River
* Acheron River (Canterbury)
* Acheron River (Marlborough)
* Ada River
* Adams River
* Ahaura River
* Ahuriri River
* Ahuroa River
* Akatarawa River
* Ākit ...
References
Rivers of Southland, New Zealand
Important Bird Areas of New Zealand
Rivers of New Zealand
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