Disclaimer
Water Level 7 days
Flow 7 days
Monitoring site comments
The Te Kuha water level recorder is situated on the Buller River in the lower Buller catchment, 16km upstream of the township of Westport. The site has a catchment area of 6350km2. The site can record quite dramatic rises in water level in response to heavy rain in the coastal Paparoa Ranges when rates of water level rise of 0.4m per hour are not uncommon. The site also commonly records prolonged flood flood peaks due to the influence of Lake Rotoroa and Lake Rotoiti at it’s headwaters. Summer water levels at this site can get as low as 0.9 metres but normal water levels are closer to 1.4 metres. A high flood water level of 11.8 metres was recorded at this site in August 1970. The First Stage Alarm Level for Flood Warning at this site is 7.4 metres.
This site is operated by the National Institute of Water & Atmosphere as part of the National Hydrometric Monitoring Network, and is a part of the West Coast Regional Council Flood Warning Network.