Selwyn River

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Selwyn River
Waikirikiri
Data
location Canterbury Region , South Island (New Zealand)
River system Selwyn River
Drain over Lake Ellesmere  → Canterbury Bay
source north of the Rockwood Range
43 ° 27 ′ 25 ″  S , 171 ° 41 ′ 0 ″  E
muzzle east of Leeston in Lake Ellesmere Coordinates: 43 ° 44 ′ 42 "  S , 172 ° 26 ′ 25"  E 43 ° 44 ′ 42 "  S , 172 ° 26 ′ 25"  E

length approx. 80 km
Left tributaries Waianiwaniwa River
Right tributaries Hororata River
Small towns Whitecliffs
Communities Glentunnel , Coalgate , Selwyn

The Selwyn River is a river in the region Canterbury on the South Island of New Zealand . The Māori name for the river is Waikirikiri , but this is rarely used in everyday language.

The river has its origin at the foot of the Southern Alps . It flows south for about 80 km and then flows into the northeast side of Lake Ellesmere , south of the Banks Peninsula . Terraced cliffs on the upper reaches of the river gave the town of Whitecliffs its name.

In the upper reaches the river carries water all year round. For a large part of its further course, the river flows through a wide, permeable gravel bed through the Canterbury Plains . In addition, there are huge layers of groundwater under the river in which the river water seeps away.

In most months, the river drains away 5 km after leaving the foothills of the Southern Alps. It flows for the next 35 km underground in the gravel of its bed and has dried out on the surface. This can happen even in the lower reaches, only 20 km from Ellesmere, where the river is crossed by New Zealand State Highway 1 at Selwyn settlement . Only a short section at the inflow of the year-round water-bearing Hororata River is excluded . About 15 km from Lake Ellesmere, the aquiferous layers come back to the surface and the river carries water all year round.

The fact that the river is only temporarily watered in its central part allows only a few species to survive. At the same time, this area represents a barrier for the spread of invertebrates and fish between Lake Ellesmere and the upper reaches.

Another tributary is the Waianiwaniwa River

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ David Kelly, Andrew Davey, Gavin James : 'Like a fish out of water': life in a disappearing river . National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) , March 1, 2008, accessed on September 10, 2014 .
  2. ↑ Mike Scarsbrook, Scott Larned, Graham Fenwick, Dave Kelly : Biodiversity in a disappearing river . National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) , February 28, 2007, archived from the original on February 23, 2013 ; accessed on May 14, 2019 (English, original website no longer available).