Rakaia River
| 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. The Rakaia River is one of the largest braided rivers in New Zealand. 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). In the 1850s, European settlers named it the Cholmondeley River, but this name lapsed into disuse. The name Rakaia comes from Māori "Ō Rakaia", meaning the place where people were arranged by ranks.