Our Story
The Manuherekia catchment is made up of low producing dryland and tall tussock (67%), high producing grasslands (mainly irrigated 21%). The remaining area is made up of alpine grass (1%), bare gravel /scree slopes (3%), native and weed sub/alpine shrublands (3%). There are two main valleys, the Ida Valley and Manuherekia valley.
Water is at the heart of all things in the catchment:
It’s used for:
domestic and stock drinking water
growing pasture and crops for animal feed for sheep, beef, dairy, deer, goats and horses
horticulture: cherries, apples, apricots, fruit cooling, viticulture,
hospitality: gardens at cafés,
berries and native trees
and aesthetics.
Why we love living here
The catchment has excellent tramping, hunting and game bird shooting spots and curling is a favoured winter sport throughout the community. It’s a great place to live!
Our River
The northern upper reaches of the Manuherekia flow from the Hawkdun and St Bathans Ranges joining at the forks (above Falls Dam).
The western tributaries (Dunstan, Becks, Lauder, Thomsons, Chatto) flow out of the Dunstan Mountains
While the eastern Tributaries flow out to the Raggedy range with the Poolburn and Ida Burn flowing through the Ida valley that drain north Rough Ridge and join the Manuherekia below Becks.
From the Forks above Falls Dam the River stretches 83km to the Confluence with the Clutha/Mata-au.
The Manuherekia catchment is a hot spot in the summer for swimming, picnicking, and paddling. Especially at Falls Dam and Dunstan Creek, Poolburn and Manorburn dams.
Kyacking (when flows are over 20cumecs) is a grade 5 river and therefore a favourite spot for expert kayakers. Downriver from Galloway is good for family kayaking. Fishing is also really popular, especially at Pool Burn, Manor Burn, Falls Dam and Dunstan creek.
The Manuherekia River is currently a Regionally Significant brown trout fishery in both the main stem and at Pool Burn and Manor Burn dams.
Native instream species include galaxias species: Alpine Galaxias above Falls Dam, Central Otago roundhead galaxias in the lower gradient streams and Clutha Flathead in the Pool Burn and Manor Burn areas. Common and Upland bully (a small native fish species), long fin eels (tuna), Koaro and Lamprey are also present throughout the catchment.
