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History of the Karamu Stream
Before 1867, what is now the Karamu Stream was the main channel of the Ngaruroro River running from the Ruahine Ranges to the sea at Waipureku (Clive). It was used for navigational purposes by Maori canoes travelling to Pakipaki and Te Hauke, and by early European settlers bringing goods from Clive to a landing site in the vicinity of the present Crosses Road Bridge.
In May 1867 a major flood inundated much of the Heretaunga Plains. The Ngaruroro River diverted from its course at Roys Hill and followed its present course between Tywford and the Chesterhope Bridge and continued to flow down through Clive. This left the channel past Havelock North with a much reduced flow. Later in the 1960’s the lower part of the Ngaruroro was diverted from Clive at Chesterhope.The old course is now known as the Clive River which drains water only from the Karamu and Raupare Streams.
The old Ngaruroro River alignment eventually became a sluggish stream, choked with willow trees. It was referred by local Maori as “Ngaruroro-Waimate” - the Dead River and later became known as the Karamu Stream.
The Karamu is now a vital part of the local flood control system. It has a catchment of 490 square kilometres, and is the major drainage and stormwater outlet for Hastings, Havelock North, much of the Heretaunga Plains and the surrounding hill country.
The main channel from Pakipaki to the coast is 30km long, falling just 3.8m over its entire length. In dry summer conditions the flow may be less than 500 litres per second. In a major flood this will increase to more than 150,000 litres per second, and the water will fill the whole of the channel.
It is likely that after 1867 and before significant development, the natural vegetation on the berms and in back-water wetlands would have been thick swards of sedges and rushes together with toetoe, flax and groves of cabbage trees (ti). Pockets of lowland podocarp forest (eg. kahikatea) would have grown on the higher, more stable areas within the flood plain.
Over the 20th century willow invaded and choked the Karamu Stream, contributing to flood risk. Since the 1980’s there has been a successful willow control programme with only minor regrowth occurring. Vegetation on the stream berms is currently maintained as pasture grass or mown grass, while exotic and native trees and shrubs are present on the upper terrace faces.
For most of the catchment, remnant indigenous vegetation is extremely sparse with little seed source available for any natural re-colonisation. Most native wetland species on the stream margins have either been grazed or sprayed out.
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Above: Karamu Stream Banks 2006
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Above: Desirable Riparian Plants
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