Lake Omapere

BW

By a lava flow dammed river

Lake Omapere is a small lake, but the largest in the region Northland on the North Island of New Zealand. It is located about 5 kilometers north of Kaikohe. State Highway 1 runs close to the north bank, the State Highway 12 leads 3 km past the southeast.

The lake is 5 km long and 14 km ², the water depth is fairly constant between 2 m and 3 m. The lake level is 237 m above sea level. The lake has a catchment area of ​​only 1700 hectares. The Lake Omapere Restoration and Management Project is to implement a voluntary environmental management strategy to protect the suffering Landwirtschaftsabwässen lake.

The lake was formed when the valley was blocked by a lava flow of standing near the lake volcanoes and the water dammed up. Here trees were inundated whose stumps are present under water today. The volcanism is still on the southwestern shore in the form of hot soda springs active.

In the marshland around the lake, the native grass Mapere, which gave its name to the lake grows.