| Wilberforce River | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location of the mouth within New Zealand | |
| Location | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Southern Alps |
| Mouth | |
• location | Rakaia River |
The Wilberforce River is a river in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. It is located in western Canterbury and is naturally a tributary of the Rakaia River,[1] but like the Harper River, it has had some of its flow diverted into Lake Coleridge as part of a hydroelectricity project. This diversion boosted the output of the Coleridge Power Station and was established in 1977.[2]
An early proposal for the route of the Midland Line railway from Christchurch to Westland involved extending the Whitecliffs Branch to the West Coast via the Wilberforce River and Browning Pass / Nōti Raureka. This was one of the proposals rejected in favour of a route via Arthur's Pass.[3]