| Ōreti River New River | |
|---|---|
 Ōreti River nearLumsden | |
 Ōreti River watershed (Interactive map) | |
| Etymology | Maori meaning "river of canoes" |
| Native name | Ōreti (Māori) |
| Location | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Southland |
| Cities | Invercargill |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Thomson Mountains |
| • coordinates | 45°9′18″S168°12′43″E / 45.15500°S 168.21194°E /-45.15500; 168.21194 |
| Mouth | New River Estuary |
• location | Foveaux Strait |
• coordinates | 46°28′S168°17′E / 46.467°S 168.283°E /-46.467; 168.283 |
• elevation | Sea level |
| Length | 170 kilometres (110 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Makarewa River,Windley River |
TheŌreti River (formerly theOreti River) is one of the main rivers ofSouthland, New Zealand, and is 170 kilometres (110 mi) long. The river has been identified as anImportant Bird Area byBirdLife International because, for much of its length, it supportsbreeding colonies ofblack-billed gulls.[1][failed verification][2]
The New ZealandMinistry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "place of the snare" forŌreti.[3] In November 2019, the name of the river was officially altered to Ōreti River.[4]
The Ōreti has its headwaters close to theMavora Lakes betweenLake Te Anau andLake Wakatipu, and flows south across theSouthland Plains to its outflow intoFoveaux Strait at the southeastern end ofOreti Beach. En route, it runs through the towns ofLumsden andWinton, before passing through the city ofInvercargill, close to the river'sestuary.
For the final part of the river's length, around the city of Invercargill and the river's estuary just south of the city, it is locally known as theNew River, a name occasionally encountered to refer to the whole river. It shares this estuary with several smaller rivers, most notably theWaihopai River.
The New River Estuary, which meets the end of the Ōreti River before it reaches the sea, is in decline.[5] Recent science reports show that regions of the upper estuary are under stress and showing eutrophication. There is excessive macroalgal growth including sediment quality decline and high concentrations of chlorophyll-a in the water column. Chlorophyll-a was used as an indicator of eutrophic conditions in the water column, and is a colour pigment present in many types of algae that can give an indication of how much algae is present in the water column.[6]
TheInvercargill Rowing Club relocated to the river in 1958.[7][8]
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