Community Contributed
Katihiku Lagoon, Horowhenua
Kete Horowhenua2020-03-23T17:00:51+00:00
Not sure if this is where the lagoon is ... but ...
This is a view of Swamp Road, with forms an L-shape through farmland just south of Otaki township. This shot is taken looking east towards the Tararua Ranges.
As hinted by the name, this area, which is the floodplain of the Otaki River, was once a mosaic of wetlands, open water, raupo swamp, flax and swamp forest.
However, this has been drained and cleared to make way for farmland. The river, just north of here, is now largely confined to a single channel and the ecosystem is dominated by introduced species.
On Swamp Road, the name is the only remaining vestige of its original state – the road runs through a patchwork of market gardens and dairy farms. At the very end of the road, on old sand dune terrain, is the Katihiku Marae.
In a Report on the Otaki River Mouth Nature Reserve:
The [Otaki] river widens here, opening out around Katihiku Island to a low-lying estuarine landscape with swamps and marshlands to north and south. There is an expansive coastal lagoon, with large areas of silt flats that attract bird life. The Rangiuru and Ngatoko Streams join the river through swamps to the north and the Pahiko Drain flows Whakapawaewae swamp to the south (an ecologically and visually important remnant of formerly more extensive swamps). Distinct swamp and coastal vegetation is characteristic.
From: http://www.gw.govt.nz/assets/council-reports/Report_PDFs/2002_500_2_Attach.pdf