The Tapu River (Waipatukahu Stream prior to 1974)[1] is a river of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand's North Island. It flows west from the Coromandel Range, reaching the Firth of Thames at the settlement of Tapu, approximately halfway between Thames and Coromandel.[2]
| Tapu River | |
|---|---|
 Tapu River estuary | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Coromandel Range |
| • elevation | 644 m (2,113 ft) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Firth of Thames |
• elevation | 0m |
| Length | 10.4 km (6.5 mi) |
| Basin size | 26 km2 (10 sq mi) |
Except for ammoniacal nitrogen, water quality in the river is good, as it mainly drains native forest;[3] only 5.1% of the catchment is farmed. The river runs over andesite and dacite. Fish in the river include long and shortfin eels (tuna), common bully (toitoi), redfin bully, torrentfish (panoko), smelt (pōrohe), īnanga, koura, trout and shrimp. To protect Tapu from flooding, the flow capacity of the river has been maximised.[4] The native frogs, Leiopelma archeyi and Leiopelma hochstetteri, live near the valley.[5]
The Tapu-Coroglen Road, opened in 1927,[6] follows the river, passing the Rapaura Watergardens and the square kauri tree. Kauri was logged in the 1880s and 1950s.[5] The SH25 bridge was built about 1937.[7]
Gold was mined in the valley from 1868[8] at several mines[9] and continued until at least the 1930s.[10]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Place name detail: Waipatukahu Stream". New Zealand Gazetteer. New Zealand Geographic Board. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
- ^ "Place name detail: Tapu River". New Zealand Gazetteer. New Zealand Geographic Board. Retrieved 8 June 2010.
- ^ "Tapu River at Tapu-Coroglen Rd MCI_SWQ River Quality". Land, Air, Water Aotearoa (LAWA). Retrieved 17 March 2023.
- ^ "Minimum Flows for Ecosystem Health in Selected Coromandel Streams: Awaroa, Tapu, Waiomu and Wharekawa" (PDF). Waikato Regional Council. October 2006.
- ^ a b Alison J. Perfect and Ben D. Bell (2005). "Assessment of the impact of 1080 on the native frogs Leiopelma archeyi and L. hochstetteri" (PDF). Department of Conservation.
- ^ "Sun (Auckland)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 14 December 1927. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
- ^ "Auckland Star". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 28 August 1937. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
- ^ "WAIPATUKAHU. Daily Southern Cross". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 24 January 1868. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
- ^ "TAPU DISTRICT. Thames Advertiser". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 26 June 1884. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
- ^ "District Gold. Thames Star". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 20 December 1935. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
36°59′02″S 175°30′00″E / 36.983995°S 175.500037°E