The Rangitata River flows south-eastward from the central Southern Alps.
Photo copyright NZ Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences 2000 .
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The text below is an extract from:

An Application for a WATER CONSERVATION ORDER in respect of the Rangitata River by New Zealand Fish and Game Council Central South Island Fish and Game Council

The full text can be read on the NZ Ministry for the Environment website

The Rangitata River, some 120km long, is one of the major river systems in South Canterbury. The catchment consists of a large inland basin and a relatively narrow lower catchment from the gorge to the sea. At its outlet the Rangitata has a total catchment area of about 1600 square kilometres.

Through the gorge, about 15 kilometre in length and 44 km from the sea, the river is single thread with a well-developed meandering pattern. For the remainder the river displays a braided river morphology with its own special characteristics. Except for limited river protection works and some agricultural development in berm lands from Arundel for 29km to the sea, the river remains largely in its pristine state.

Low flow usually occurs in July – August each year when the three main snow fed tributaries sourced in the Southern Alps are frozen over and flow from these tributaries is minimal. During this period the river is sustained by a number of important spring fed tributaries which dominate the middle part of the upper basin. Principal among these are the two main salmon spawning streams, Deep Creek and Deep Stream. Snow melt normally sets in about late September. From then on river flows remain higher than mean flow through to March and then gradually decline towards the winter low.

The Rangitata River supports nationally outstanding sports and native fisheries resources. The salmon and trout fishery has developed over more than 100 years of sustained recruitment and management by the former Acclimatisation Societies and more recently the Fish and Game Council. The River is also habitat to modest but important populations of long fin and short fin eels.

The Rangitata River contains nationally important and outstanding sportsfish resources. The River is one of the few rivers outside of western North America (the native habitat) to have a self-sustaining chinook salmon population. There are four sportsfish species present in the Rangitata; chinook salmon, brown trout, rainbow trout and brook char. Chinook salmon are abundant and widely distributed throughout the river system during the main season December – April. Brown trout are also abundant and widely distributed throughout the main river with sea run trout being available to the angler throughout the lower river during the early part of the angling season, October – December. Rainbow trout are a lesser population and mainly confined to above the gorge. The brook char population is small and limited to a few streams. None the less, because of their relative rarity brook char are highly prized by the recreational angler. Besides the sportsfish species , the river is habitat for some 18 species of native fish (Bonnett 1986) including mullet, flounder, eels, lamprey, bullies, torrent fish, galaxias and koaro.

The Rangitata River provides habitat for a wide variety of native bird species, including blue duck. The river also provides habitat for good populations of mallard ducks and Canada geese for the gamebird hunter. While angling is possibly the most popular recreational activity, the river is widely used for other recreational activities including jetboating, white water rafting, canoeing, whitebaiting, flounder fishing, picnicking and sightseeing. Its outstanding recreational qualities makes this river deserving for Conservation Order protection.