Catchment Community Group
Catchment area
Regions: Taranaki/Manawatu, Manawatu
The Manawatū River is a major river of the lower North Island. The river has its headwaters in the eastern slopes of the Ruahine Ranges northwest of Norsewood, which then flows through the Manawatū Gorge, Palmerston North and across the Manawatū Plains to the Tasman Sea at Foxton.
Major tributaries of the river include the Makakahi, Mangahao, Pohangina and the Oroua Rivers. The Manawatū's total length is 197 kilometres.
The Manawatū catchment is approximately 587,500 hectares of which we have 156,000 Ha included in the MRRC with 11 sub-catchment groups currently operating.