Lake Forsyth
| Lake Forsyth Wairewa |
|
|---|---|
| Location | Canterbury, South Island |
| Coordinates | 43°48′18″S 172°44′27″E / 43.8050°S 172.7407°ECoordinates: 43°48′18″S 172°44′27″E / 43.8050°S 172.7407°E |
| Primary inflows | Takiritawai River |
| Primary outflows | seepage |
| Basin countries | New Zealand |
| Max. length | 7.6 km |
| Max. width | 1 km |
| Surface area | 627.5526 ha |
| Average depth | 1 m |
| Surface elevation | 0 m |
| Settlements | Little River |
Lake Forsyth (known to Māori as Te Roto o Wairewa) is a lake in the Canterbury region of New Zealand.
It is fed by the Takiritawai River, a short arm of the Okuti River, and exits via a gravel bank into the sea in the vicinity of the small community of Birdling's Flat.
State Highway 75 leading to Akaroa and part of the Little River Rail Trail follow the north-western shore of the lake.
Wairewa used to be an important for providing tuna [eel]s as food for the Ngai Tahu tribe (indigenous Maori people of South Island). It is the only Ngai Tahu customary lake. Wairewa Runanga one of the 18 Ngai Tahu Runanga are the guardians or kaitiaki of the lake. However deforestation of the surrounding hills has led to erosion and silting up of the lake. The lake is hypertrophic, leading to eutrophication with corresponding poor water quality.[1] This decline in water quality has been known since the early 1900s. So far, attempts to rectify the problem have had limited success.
[edit] References
- ^ Crean, Mike (26 October 2007). "Rescuing a blighted Lake Forsyth". The Press. http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/lifestyle/mainlander/19456.
[edit] External links
- Wairewa Research Project - a collaborative project by the Wairewa runanga focussing on rehabilitation of Te Roto o Wairewa/Lake Forsyth
- Department of Conservation report into Lake Forsyth
