Lake Rotokākahi

Template:Short description Template:Use New Zealand English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox body of water Lake Rotokākahi or Green Lake, is one of four small lakes lying between Lake Rotorua and Lake Tarawera in the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island. The others are Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake), Lake Ōkāreka, and Lake Ōkataina. All lie within the Ōkataina Caldera, along its western edge.

Geography

The lake flows to Lake Tarawera via the Wairoa Stream (also known as Template:Lang) past the buried Te Wairoa village and its Wairere waterfall.<ref name=White2016/>Template:Rp<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Wairoa Stream when it leaves Lake Rotokākahi has a mean flow rate of Template:Convert but it picks up subsurface water and tributaries so when it enters Lake Tarawera it has a mean flow rate of Template:Convert.<ref name=White2016/>Template:Rp From the air the lake looks emerald green related to its shallow, sandy bottom. The lake is Template:Convert<ref name="lowe" /> above sea level and Template:Convert<ref name="lowe" /><ref name=White2016/>Template:Rp below the level of the neighbouring Lake Tikitapu to its north. Its eastern arm is separated from Lake Tikitapu by a lava dam generated during a rhyolitic eruption, at the south-western margins of the Ōkataina Caldera now dated at 15,635 ± 412 cal.yr BP,.<ref name="Lowe2023">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Rp It contains a small island in its western arm, Punaruku Island and its southern arm has a larger island Motutawa Island.<ref name=White2016/>Template:Rp While the catchment flows into the Tarawera River watershed in due course, the south-western aspect of the lake is only a very short distance from the Waikato River watershed.<ref name=White2016/>Template:Rp

Ecology

It is named for its abundance of Template:Lang (freshwater mussels).<ref name=Butterworth2008>Template:Cite thesis</ref><ref name=placenames/>

The lake had brown trout introduced in the 1870s. Rainbow trout were introduced later.<ref name=Butterworth2008/>Template:Rp

The lake is classified as mesotrophic,<ref name=Butterworth2008/>Template:Rp with moderate productivity and water quality, but has not been assessed recently.<ref name=LAWA1>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Its trophic level index was 3.6 in 2014 which was a decline and relatively high for a local lake.<ref name=White2016/>Template:Rp This may be because 26.3% of its catchment was pasture in 2007.<ref name=Butterworth2008/>Template:Rp

History

The main tribe occupying the Lake Rotokakahi area at the time of European settlement were the Tuhourangi/Ngati Tumatawera, who had migrated from the Rotoiti area following various feuds with neighbouring tribes.<ref name=Butterworth2008/>Template:Rp During early European settlement Kaiteriria on the southern lake shore was a base for armed constabulary.<ref name=Butterworth2008/>Template:Rp The lake has been under the authority of the Te Arawa iwi, Tūhourangi and Ngati Tumatawera since 1948, when there was disturbance of the Template:Lang,<ref name=Butterworth2008/>Template:Rp and remains largely undisturbed<ref>"Lake Rotokakahi 2008 Report Card" Template:Webarchive, Environment Bay of Plenty website</ref>

Motutawa

This small island in the lake is notable as the site of the 1822 slaughter of a part of Ngāpuhi, as an act of vengeance for relatives killed by the same Ngapuhi warriors in Te Totara, Thames.<ref name=Butterworth2008/>Template:Rp This led to the revenge raid of Hongi Hika in 1823.<ref name=Butterworth2008/>Template:Rp The island was the main historic stronghold of Tuhourangi/Ngati Wahiao,<ref name=Butterworth2008/>Template:Rp and tradition has it as the resting place of the bones of Hinemoa.<ref name=Butterworth2008/>Template:Rp

The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "tawa tree island" for Template:Lang.<ref name=placenames>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Images

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