Mangles River

The Mangles River is in the South Island of New Zealand. Its main tributary is the Tūtaki River but it is also fed by water flowing off the Braeburn Range.^[1] It feeds into the Buller River near the town of Murchison.^[2] The river is popular destination for kayaking and trout fishing.^[3][4][5]

Mangles River
Confluence of Mangles and Buller Rivers, circa 1900
Route of the Mangles River
Mouth of the Mangles River Show map of New Zealand Mangles River (South Island) Show map of South Island
Location
Country	New Zealand
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Nuggety Creek Road
• coordinates	41°46′00″S 172°28′54″E
• elevation	540 m (1,770 ft)
Mouth
• location	Buller River
• coordinates	41°47′14″S 172°22′06″E
• elevation	180 m (590 ft)
Length	25 km (16 mi)
Basin features
Progression	Mangles River → Buller River → Tasman Sea
Tributaries
• left	Te Pātītī Stream, Te Peita Stream, Te Wīriki Stream, Tūtaki River, Blackwater River, Blue Duck Creek, Grey Duck Creek, Green Duck Creek
• right	Campbell Creek, Harte Creek

William Fox was the New Zealand Company agent in Nelson when he explored the Buller as far south as Murchison in February 1846, with Thomas Brunner and Charles Heaphy. They renamed the lower section of the Tiraumea River,^[6] after the English MP, Ross Donnelly Mangles, one of the company's directors.^[7] The official name was gazetted as Mangles River on 27 May 2021.^[8]

River pollution has been monitored since 2016. About 75% of the catchment is in native forest, so that water quality is generally good, the only exception being nitrates.^[9]

The river is bridged by SH6 near its confluence with the Buller.^[10]

References

1. "Mangles at 5km u-s Buller River Quality". Land, Air, Water Aotearoa (LAWA). 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
2. "Buller River dreaming, and Murchison on my mind". The Nelson Mail. 27 March 2010. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
3. Walrond, Carl (22 April 2015). "Nelson places – Upper Buller River valley". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
4. Robertson, Martin (9 June 2020). "Buller River Overview". www.packraftingtrips.nz. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
5. "Buller River Access". fishandgame.org.nz. 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
6. "Account of an Exploring Expedition to the S.W. of Nelson. Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 14 March 1846. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
7. "THE BULLER RIVER. EVENING POST". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 10 July 1923. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
8. "Place name detail: Mangles River". New Zealand Gazetteer. New Zealand Geographic Board. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
9. "Mangles at 5km u-s Buller River Quality". Land, Air, Water Aotearoa (LAWA). Retrieved 18 December 2022.
10. "Mangles River, Tasman". NZ Topo Map. Retrieved 18 December 2022.