Ōhau River (Canterbury) Explained

See also: Ōhau River (Manawatū-Whanganui).

Ōhau River
Pushpin Map:New Zealand
Source1:Lake Ōhau
Source1 Coordinates:-44.2851°N 169.9365°W
Mouth:Lake Benmore
Mouth Coordinates:-44.3441°N 170.2048°W
Subdivision Type1:Country
Subdivision Name1:New Zealand
Length:270NaN0
Progression:Lake BenmoreLake AviemoreLake WaitakiWaitaki RiverPacific Ocean
Waterbodies:Lake Ruataniwha
Tributaries Left:Twizel River
Tributaries Right:Wairepo Creek

The Ōhau River is a river in the Mackenzie Basin of New Zealand's South Island. It is the primary outflow of Lake Ōhau, from which it flows in a roughly eastward direction until reaching the artificial Lake Benmore after a distance of roughly 27km (17miles). In 1981, the artificial Lake Ruataniwha was created along the river's length to power a small hydroelectric power station as part of the Waitaki hydro scheme.[1] Prior to the creation of the Waitaki hydro scheme, the river flowed directly into the Waitaki River rather than through a series of lakes.[2] The river forms part of the traditional boundary between Otago and Canterbury regions.[3]

Prior to European settlement of the region, the river was a traditional mahinga kai (food gathering site) for Māori travelling through the Mackenzie Basin, providing valuable food sources such as weka, tuna (eels), and pora (Brassica rapa subsp. sylvestris)[4] [5]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NZGB Gazetteer . New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa . 9 April 2020.
  2. With axe and rope in the New Zealand Alps . 127 . With axe and rope in the New Zealand Alps/Chapter XI#pagenumber 127 . Mannering . G. E. . George Edward Mannering . 1891 .
  3. Web site: Archived copy . www.meridianenergy.co.nz . 12 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070221111633/http://www.meridianenergy.co.nz/yourhome/frequently+asked+questions/ohaua.pdf . 21 February 2007 . dead.
  4. Web site: Cultural Atlas - Ōhau . Kā Huru Manu . Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu . 13 August 2023.
  5. Web site: Brassica rapa subsp. sylvestris. Pōhata. Wild turnip. - Ngā Rauropi Whakaoranga . rauropiwhakaoranga.landcareresearch.co.nz . 13 August 2023.