Waipa River

Waipa River
from Waingaro Rd bridge looking north down Waipa River to Ngaruawahia Point bandstand, the Waikato (coming from right) and the Hakarimata Range in the background (19-9-2012)
Origin	Rangitoto Range
Mouth	Waikato River
Basin countries	New Zealand
Length	115 km (71 mi)
Source elevation	703 m (2,306 ft)
Mouth elevation	20 m (66 ft)
Avg. discharge	83.9 m3/s (2,960 cu ft/s)
Basin area	3,050 km2 (1,180 sq mi)

The Waipa River - The Waikato's largest tributary

The Waipa River is in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. The headwaters are in the Rangitoto Range east of Te Kuiti. It flows north for 115 kilometres, passing through Otorohanga and Pirongia, before flowing into the Waikato River at Ngaruawahia. It is the Waikato's largest tributary.

Over 50 km was navigable by waka and Pirongia (Alexandra) was busy as the head of steamboat navigation until the railway was built to Te Awamutu in 1880.^[1] However, a 1915 guidebook still said, "Small steamers ply up and down the river from Huntly".^[2]

In the headwaters upstream of Otorohanga the river can be very clear during low flow conditions. This section of the river flows through rough farmland and patches of native bush. In this clearer part of the river there can be very good fly fishing for trout, but you'll need to ask the land owners permission to access the river.

Water quality is still poor along most of the river, with excess nitrogen, silt and phosphorus, though E. coli levels have improved with improved sewage treatment.^[3]

The Waipa is prone to flooding in its lower reaches as flood flows can be over 100 times (20 to 560 cu m per sec) those of dry flows and the river can rise up to 11 metres.^[4]

Bridges

looking south from Whatawhata bridge.

1898 Ngaruawahia bridge opened. Collapsed under a mob of cattle 20 December 1916 and rebuilt in 1918.

520 feet long Whatawhata bridge originally opened 20 April 1881. The wooden structure 15 feet above high water mark^[5] consisted of two spans of 80 feet, 7 of 40 and 4 of 20 feet, and cost £3700. Repairs were done in 1909, but was in poor repair again by 1917. For £11,250 a new truss bridge was built over the top of it in 1924.^[6] The current concrete bridge, which is south of the original site, was shown on the 1974 edition of the 1 inch Lands & Survey map, but not on the 1965 3rd edition.

Te Rore bridge from south.

Alexandra Bridge, Pirongia originally built by the army about 1865.^[8]

Toa Bridge, built between 1924 and 1928.^[9]

See also

• http://www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/Environment/Natural-resources/Water/Rivers/Waipa-River/
• http://www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/Environment/Natural-resources/Water/Rivers/Our-other-rivers/Water-quality-monitoring-map/Waipa-River-at-Pirongia-Ngutunui-Rd-Bridge/
• http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/waipa-river-waikato-district/1
• water temperature at Otorohanga http://www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/Environment/Natural-resources/Water/Rivers/Water-temperature-levels-in-the-Waikato-region/Waipa-River---Otorohanga/
• flood control scheme ^[10]
• 1910 photo looking the opposite way to the photo above http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22913054?search%5Bi%5D%5Bsubject%5D=Rivers&search%5Bil%5D%5Batl_free_download%5D=true&search%5Bpage%5D=5&search%5Bpath%5D=photos
• other 1910 photos of the bridge http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22914116 and http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22789295

References

Coordinates: 37°41′S 175°09′E / 37.683°S 175.150°E / -37.683; 175.150