Taieri River
Taieri River | ||
Location of the Taieri river system in New Zealand |
||
Data | ||
location | Otago Region , South Island (New Zealand) | |
River system | Taieri River | |
source | in the Lammerlaw Range | |
muzzle | at Taieri Mouth in the Pacific Ocean Coordinates: 46 ° 3 '15 " S , 170 ° 11' 59" E 46 ° 3 '15 " S , 170 ° 11' 59" E
|
|
length | 201 km | |
Exit of Taieri Gorge at Outram |
The Taieri River is the fourth longest river in New Zealand at 201 km . Together with the Clutha River to the west, it dominates the Otago region in the southeast of the South Island and, with its tributaries, is the most important water source in the region.
geography
Raised in the Lammerlaw Range , the Taieri flows through the Serpentine Flat northwards to supply the wetlands of the Maniototo Plain . At the northern end of the Rock and Pillar Range , the river turns eastwards and, after a bend of almost 180 degrees, runs through the wide former glacier valley Strath Taieri , which is bordered by the mountain ranges of the Rock and Pillar Range and the Taieri Ridge, which are over 1,300 m high . From this valley the Taieri has worked its way southwards deep into the landscape and formed the Taieri Gorge . At Outram , the river leaves the gorge and irrigates the Taieri Plains , before flowing into the Pacific Ocean at Taieri Mouth after another 30 kilometers . Upstream of the river mouth is Taieri Island or Moturata .
The most important tributary is the Waipori River , which flows into the Taieri River at Henley in the Taieri Plains. Places along the river are Middlemarch , Outram, Mosgiel , Henley and Taieri Mouth.
use
On the upper reaches of the Taieri River near Paerau there is a hydropower plant , which was put into operation in 1984 together with the power plant located on a tributary in Patearoa. Part of the water from the Taieri is diverted and fed via a 1.3 km long tunnel to the 10 MW power station of the energy supplier Trustpower .
In the fertile plains of the Maniototo, Strath Taieri and Taieri plains, the river's water is used extensively for agriculture and livestock. Fishing is permitted and possible anywhere on the Taieri, with the Maniototo wetlands being particularly popular with anglers. Taieri Gorge is a tourist destination and can be traversed by the daily Taieri Gorge Railway train from Dunedin to Middlemarch.
environmental issues
After neighboring farmers in the wetlands in the upper part of the river have increasingly switched to dairy farming and breeding of fallow deer , the wetlands are threatened by pollution and expansion of agricultural land.
literature
- Taieri River . In: Alexander Hare McLintock (Ed.): An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand . Wellington 1966 ( online [accessed December 14, 2015]).
- Taieri River . In: New Zealand Encyclopedia . David Bateman Ltd, Auckland 2000, ISBN 0-908610-21-1 (English).
Web links
- What to do. Strath Taieri Community Board, archived from the original on October 1, 2010 ; accessed on September 16, 2014 (English, original website no longer available).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Paerau Gorge Power Scheme. TrustPower, archived from the original on October 14, 2008 ; accessed on September 16, 2014 (English, original website no longer available).
- ^ The Upper Taieri River Scroll Plain , Otago Regional Council, Dunedin, 2007