Back Salog Rakaia BCL Rakaia River (suba, lat -43,90, long 172,21) CEB Rakaia River German Río Rakaia Spanish Rakaia (fleuve) French Rakaia Maori Rakaiaelva NN Ракаиа (река) Russian
| Rakaia River | |
|---|---|
 Rakaia River mouth | |
 The Rakaia River system | |
| Native name | Rakaia (Māori) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Southern Alps |
| Length | 150 kilometres (93 mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 203 cubic metres per second (7,200 cu ft/s) |
| • minimum | 87 m3/s (3,100 cu ft/s) |
The Rakaia River is in the Canterbury Plains in New Zealand's South Island.[1] The Rakaia River is one of the largest braided rivers in New Zealand.[2] The Rakaia River has a mean flow of 203 cubic metres per second (7,200 cu ft/s) and a mean annual seven-day low flow of 87 m3/s (3,100 cu ft/s).[3] In the 1850s, European settlers named it the Cholmondeley River, but this name lapsed into disuse.[4] The name Rakaia comes from Māori "Ō Rakaia", meaning the place where people were arranged by ranks.[5][6]
- ^ "Place name detail: Rakaia River". New Zealand Gazetteer. New Zealand Geographic Board. Retrieved 2 April 2008.
- ^ Morland, K. 1994: Water Resources of the Canterbury Region. Canterbury Regional Council Unpublished Technical Report U94/59.
- ^ Morgan, M., Bidwell, V., Bright, J., McIndoe, I, and Robb, C. (2002): Canterbury Strategic Water Study Archived 20 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Lincoln Environmental Report No 4557/1, Lincoln University, New Zealand. Table 6.1.
- ^ 'Rivers Revert', John Wilson. 'Canterbury', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 19-Sep-2007 URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/Places/Canterbury/Canterbury/en, retrieved 30 June 2008.
- ^ "Rakaia River". Christchurch City Libraries.
- ^ George Leslie Wickenden (1966). "Rakaia River". In A. H. McLintock (ed.). Te Ara.