About 50 people gathered on an island in the middle of the Waitaki River on Saturday to "celebrate the magnificence" of the Waitaki River.
Lower Waitaki River Management Society chairman Bill Penno said the celebration was the culmination of a year of activity by the society, which included organising and conducting an appeal to the Environment Court against granting water for a new power scheme proposed on the river by Meridian Energy Ltd.
"The river is important not just to locals but to the whole of New Zealand, and the South Island in particular. It is the heartbeat of the South Island," he said.
The celebration included talks on protecting rare braided-river birds and protecting streams and rivers from pollution, bird-watching, a look at fish life with Central South Island Fish and Game Council officer Graeme Hughes, flax-weaving with Anne Te Maiharoa Dodds and a tour of the Kurow island by the Kurow Town Enhancement Group.
People were told about plans to develop features of the island for public use.