Hapuku River

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Hapuku River
View from the bridge of SH 1, Hapuku River with the confluence of the Puhi Phui River in the Hapuku River

View from the bridge of SH 1, Hapuku River with the confluence of the Puhi Phui River in the Hapuku River

Data
location Kaikoura District , Canterbury Region, New Zealand
River system Hapuku River
source South flank of Manakau
42 ° 13 ′ 36 ″  S , 173 ° 37 ′ 18 ″  E
Source height 2300  m
muzzle Pacific Ocean Coordinates: 42 ° 19 ′ 41 "  S , 173 ° 44 ′ 23"  E 42 ° 19 ′ 41 "  S , 173 ° 44 ′ 23"  E
Mouth height 0  m
Height difference 2300 m
Bottom slope 12%
length 19 km
Hapuku River view to the lake side

Hapuku River view to the lake side

Stone crusher on the river. Here the rubble of the river bed is processed into gravel

The Hapuku River is a river in the Kaikoura District of the Canterbury region on the South Island of New Zealand .

geography

The Hapuku River rises on the southern flank of the 2608  m high Manakau , the highest mountain in the Seaward Kaikoura Range . On its 19 km long route to the Pacific Ocean , the river runs south to south-east. Its estuary is 10 km northeast of Kaikoura . The largest tributary of the Hapuku River is the Puhi Puhi River , which, coming from the north, flows into the Hapuku River just before the bridge of the New Zealand State Highway 1 .

The annual rainfall in its catchment area is between 844 mm in the coastal region and 1750 mm in the mountain regions.

use

Rubble is removed from the river bed in the lower, flatter part of the river and processed into gravel of various sizes in the stone excavation directly on the river.

The river has limited fishing opportunities.

Kaikoura earthquake

The river received wide-ranging attention in New Zealand as a result of the Kaikoura earthquake on November 16, 2016. The quake, which had a magnitude of 7.8, was caused by a landslide, in the upper course of the river to a 150  m high dam, which was cut through the dammed water in first assumptions threatened to break. Warnings have been issued for residents and users of the river. But three days after the quake, the all-clear was given, indicating that the situation could change again at any time. By December, a considerable lake had already formed, which worried those responsible.

At the beginning of January 2017, a warning system was installed to warn residents and users of State Highway 1 in the affected area if a dam breaks . A warning lamp with an information sign was installed on both sides of the bridge that crosses the river, so that the bridge may no longer be crossed when the warning lamp is active. It was assumed that if the dam broke, the bridge and road would be endangered and would not be able to withstand the tidal waves and rubble.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Coordinates and longitudes of the Hapuku River were determined by Google Earth .
  2. ↑ Topo250 maps . Land Information New Zealand , accessed February 24, 2017 .
  3. ↑ Nick Truebridge : New Hapuku dam no 'immediate' risk, situation could change . In: Stuff - National . Fairfax Media , November 19, 2016, accessed February 24, 2017 .
  4. ↑ Scientists: Three Kaikoura quake landslide dams pose 'highest level of hazard' . In: New Zealand Herald . NZME. Publishing , December 6, 2016, accessed February 24, 2017 .
  5. ^ Watching quake-made lakes . In: Wairarapa Times-Age . January 3, 2017, accessed February 24, 2017 .