Tarawera River

Infobox_River
river_name = Tarawera River

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image_size = 180px
caption = Tarawera Falls on the Tarawera River
origin =
mouth = Bay of Plenty
basin_countries = New Zealand
length = 65 km
elevation =
mouth_elevation =
discharge = 26m³/sec
watershed = 906km² (measured up to Awakaponga)

The Tarawera River is in the Bay of Plenty region in the North Island of New Zealand.

It flows from Lake Tarawera, northeastwards across the northern flanks of the active volcano Mount Tarawera, and past the town of Kawerau before turning north, reaching the Bay of Plenty six kilometres to the west of Edgecumbe.

The Tarawera Falls on the river are considered to be quite spectacular.

Environmental issues

Since the 1990s local residents have erected signposts labeling the river as the "Black Drain".Citation
last = Park
first = Stephen
author-link =
last2 =
first2 =
author2-link =
title = Colour and Clarity of the Tarawera River 1991-2008
journal =
volume =
issue =
pages =
date = February 2008
year =
url = http://www.ebop.govt.nz/air/media/pdf/0802%20Colour%20&%20Clarity%20in%20the%20Tarawera%20River%201991-2008.pdf
issn=1176-9372
doi =
id = ]

The dark colour is due to the presence of pollution from farms, sewage and stormwater but it is predominanely from pulp and paper mill effluent. As of 1997 pulp and paper mills were discharging over 160 million litres of industrial waste into the river per day. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = The State of New Zealand's Environment
work =
publisher = Ministry for the Environment (New Zealand)
date = 1997
url = http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/ser/ser1997/html/chapter7.7.html
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2008-03-23 ]

By 2006 the oxygen levels in the river had reached a level where fish could survive, however the water colour was still dark. [cite web
last =
first = Environment Bay of Plenty
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Tarawera River’s future is “looking good”
work =
publisher = Environment Bay of Plenty
date = 2006-05-03
url = http://www.ebop.govt.nz/publications/media/060502-tarawera-ac.doc
format = Microsoft Word
doi =
accessdate = 2008-03-23 ] Since 1998 the colour and light penetration (euphotic depth) have improved in the lower section of the river due to less pollution from the Tasman Mill.

References