Waikato
Waikato is a mapped river in the YearMaps hydrographic index. River courses organise settlement, agriculture and frontier-making more durably than any political boundary, and this reach is indexed against the dams, lakes and cities within its catchment.
- Feature Class
- River
- Coordinates
- -37.94°, 175.57°
About Waikato
The Waikato River is the longest in New Zealand, running for 425 kilometres (264 mi) through the North Island. It starts on the eastern slopes of Mount Ruapehu, joining the Tongariro River system and flowing through Lake Taupō, New Zealand's largest lake. It then drains Taupō at the lake's northeastern edge, creates the Huka Falls, and flows northwest through the Waikato Plains. It empties into the Tasman Sea south of Auckland, at Port Waikato. It gives its name to the Waikato region that surrounds the Waikato Plains. The present course of the river was largely formed about 17,000 years ago. Contributing factors were climate warming, the reestablishment of forests in the river headwaters, and the deepening, rather than widening, of the existing river channel. The channel was gradually eroded as far upriver as Piarere, leaving the old Hinuera channel through the Hinuera Gap high and dry. The remains of the old course are seen clearly at Hinuera, where the cliffs mark the ancient river edges. The Waikato's main tributary is the Waipā River, which converges with it at Ngāruawāhia.
The name Waikato comes from the Māori language and translates as flowing water.
Encyclopedic summary adapted from Wikipedia: Waikato River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Waikato in Depth
Course
The river starts in the form of many small streams on the eastern slopes of Mount Ruapehu. The Mangatoetoenui Glacier (once also called the Waikato Glacier) is one of the principal sources. The southernmost tributary is called the Upper Waikato Stream. The Waipakihi River joins the Waikato from the Kaimanawa Mountains to the west. From the point where the river meets the Waihohonu Stream, down to Lake Taupō, it has been formally named the Tongariro River since 1945.
The Poutu Stream joins from Lake Rotoaira to the east, as a tributary of the Tongariro, which flows northward, with State Highway 1 in parallel, through the town of Tūrangi, and into the southern side of Lake Taupō.
Ecology
The Waikato River and its hydro lakes are home to at least 19 types of native fish and 10 types of introduced fish. The introduced species include rainbow and brown trout providing what has been called "the finest fly-fishing in the world". Other introduced species, like the carp and mosquitofish, have become major pests.
The invasive gold clam (Corbicula fluminea) was first detected in Lake Karapiro in 2023. The species has been found in large numbers along the river from the mouth at Port Waikato, to upstream Lake Maraetai near Taupō. The presence of the clams is leading to reduced levels of calcium carbonate and increased levels of carbon dioxide in the water.
The large catchment area of the Waikato River is highly fertile farmland, so intensive agriculture is present.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Waikato River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Waikato: Key Facts
| Length | 425 km |
|---|---|
| Average discharge | 340 m³/s |
| Drainage basin | 13,701 km² |
| Source | Lake Taupō |
| Mouth | Tasman Sea |
| Tributaries | Waipā River, Waipakihi River, Wairakei River, Whangamarino River, Mangatāwhiri River, Tutaenui Stream |
Facts from Wikidata Q1048219 (CC0).
Major River Dossiers
Hand-written studies of the great river systems of history.
Connected Reaches
Nearby watercourses in the same drainage network.
Water Bodies in the Catchment
Settlements Along the Reach
Hydraulic Infrastructure Nearby
Surrounding Terrain
Waikato: Quick Answers
- Where is Waikato?
- Waikato is located in New Zealand, at 37.9385° S, 175.5695° E.
- Are there dams on the Waikato?
- No dam on the Waikato is recorded in the YearMaps dam index, which covers major structures only.