| Tomarata Lake | |
| Location: | Auckland Region, North Island, New Zealand |
| Pushpin Map: | New Zealand Auckland |
| Pushpin Map Alt: | Location of Tomarata Lake |
| Outflow: | Spectacle Lake |
| Basin Countries: | New Zealand |
| Area: | 14.4ha |
Tomarata Lake is a lake at Tomarata, Rodney in the northern Auckland Region of New Zealand.
Tomarata Lake is a sand dune lake located around northeast of Wellsford. It is adjacent to the Mangawhai Forest and near Te Ārai Regional Park.[1] The lake drains into Spectacle Lake, which in turn drains into Slipper Lake, and eventually flows into the Jellicoe Channel.[1] A former sand quarry is located near the lake, which overtime developed into a lake itself.
The lake was created when the Te Ārai sand dunes began to build up, preventing water from escaping the area. It is the only example of a peatland lake in the Auckland Region. The lake has no inflow streams, and is instead fed by rainwater and the surrounding wetlands.
The lake is a part of the Tomarata — Te Ārai Dune Lakes biodiversity focus area,[2] and is surrounded by extensive wetlands.[3]
The lake is home to many threatened bird species, such as the New Zealand fernbird, Eurasian bittern and the Buff-banded rail.[4]
The lake is used for recreational swimming, boating and jetskiing, and is the most accessible of the northern Rodney lakes.[5]