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Poerua River (Westland District)

Coordinates: 43°02′56″S 170°24′36″E / 43.0489°S 170.4101°E / -43.0489; 170.4101
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Poerua River
Map
Route of the Poerua River
Poerua River (Westland District) is located in New Zealand
Poerua River (Westland District)
Mouth of the Poerua River
Poerua River (Westland District) is located in South Island
Poerua River (Westland District)
Poerua River (Westland District) (South Island)
Native namePouerua-tāhuna (Māori)
Location
CountryNew Zealand
regionWest Coast Region
DistrictWestland District
Physical characteristics
SourcePoerua Glacier
 • locationSouthern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana
 • coordinates43°17′07″S 170°36′46″E / 43.2852°S 170.6129°E / -43.2852; 170.6129
 • elevation1,380 m (4,530 ft)
MouthTasman Sea
 • location
Hikimutu Lagoon
 • coordinates
43°02′56″S 170°24′36″E / 43.0489°S 170.4101°E / -43.0489; 170.4101
 • elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Length35.4 km (22.0 mi)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftMcCullouchs Creek
 • rightWillberg River, Dry Creek, Ferguson Creek, Pye Creek

Poerua River is a river in Westland District in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island. It flows from its headwaters in the Southern Alps to the Tasman Sea near Harihari. The river is a trout and salmon fishing location and its mouth is where it is met by the Hinatua River and is located roughly a kilometre south of the Wanganui River's mouth. On the morning of 6 October 1999, a landslide from Mount Adams blocked the Poerua River, creating a landslide dam about 11 km upstream from the State Highway 6 bridge over the river. Despite fears of flooding and other damage, there were relatively minimal impacts when the dam was breached six days later, though significant quantities of coarse gravel were deposited downstream and the river's course was changed in places.

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