Waitakaruru River
| Waitakaruru River | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Hapuakohe Range |
| Mouth | |
• location | Firth of Thames |
| Length | 15 km (9.3 mi) |
The Waitakaruru River is a river of the Waikato Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows initially north before turning northwest across the northwestern corner of the Hauraki Plains, reaching the southwestern corner of the Firth of Thames close to the settlement of Waitakaruru.
Grey mangrove, or mānawa, has rapidly colonised the estuary since 1940, due to sediment deposited by the rivers and climate change.
The river should not be confused with the similarly named Waitakaruru Stream, which is also in the Waikato Region, near Morrinsville.