Avon Heathcote Estuary
| Avon Heathcote Estuary | ||
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 Christchurch with the estuary (left) |
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| Waters | Pegasus Bay | |
| Land mass | South Island (New Zealand) | |
| Geographical location | 43 ° 32 '49 " S , 172 ° 43' 23" O | |
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| surface | 8 km² | |
| Tributaries | Avon River , Heathcote River | |
 Avon Heathcote Estuary of Redcliffs seen from |
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The Avon Heathcote Estuary ( Māori : Te Wahapu ) is a large, semi-enclosed, shallow estuary in Christchurch in the Canterbury region on the South Island of New Zealand and one of the most important coastal wetlands in New Zealand. It is an internationally significant resting place for migratory birds and locally as a recreation area. It used to be a highly valued area for the Māori for gathering food.
The bay is located on the Pacific Pegasus Bay in the east of Christchurch. The Avon River flows into the estuary in the northwest and the Heathcote River in the southeast. The bay has a triangular shape. Only a short canal connects it to the south with Pegasus Bay. It is separated from the sea by the 4 km long Brighton Spit on which the suburbs of New Brighton , South New Brighton and Southshore lie.
The estuary is 8 km². At high tide the water depth is usually only 1.4 m, only 15% of the area does not usually dry out at low tide.
Established in 2002, the Avon-Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust aims to represent the long-term public interest in the use of the estuary. Members of the trust include community representatives, existing interest groups (Friends of the Estuary and Christchurch Estuary Association), Christchurch City Council , Environment Canterbury , indigenous peoples, and others.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Estuary , Christchurch City Libraries , New Zealand.
- ^ Avon-Heathcote Estuary / Ihutai . (PDF 624 kB) Christchurch City Council - Environment Canterbury , 2007, archived from the original ; accessed on February 8, 2016 (English, original website no longer available).
- ^ RH Finlay, RM Kirk : Post-1847 changes in the Avon-Heathcote Estuary, Christchurch: a study of the effect of urban development around a tidal estuary . In: Royal Society of New Zealand (Ed.): New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research . Vol. 22 , 1988, ISSN 0028-8330 , pp. 101–127 , doi : 10.1080 / 00288330.1988.9516283 (English, online PDF 4.5 MB [accessed on February 8, 2016]).
- ^ History . The Avon-Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust , 2008, archived from the original on June 2, 2010 ; accessed on February 8, 2016 (English, original website no longer available).