Water of Leith, New Zealand

Water of Leith
Upper reaches of the Water of Leith, Woodhaugh, Dunedin
Country	New Zealand
Basin features
Main source	Leith Saddle 380 m (1,250 ft)
River mouth	Otago Harbour 0 m (0 ft) 45°52′18″S 170°31′32″E / 45.8716°S 170.5255°E / -45.8716; 170.5255Coordinates: 45°52′18″S 170°31′32″E / 45.8716°S 170.5255°E / -45.8716; 170.5255
Physical characteristics
Length	14 km (8.7 mi)

The Water of Leith (also known as Ōwheo, the River Leith or Leith Stream), is a small river in the South Island of New Zealand.

It rises to the north of the city of Dunedin, flowing for 14 kilometres (9 mi) southeast through the northern part of the city and the campus of the University of Otago before reaching the Otago Harbour. The name of the city of Dunedin is the anglicised form of Dùn Èideann which is the Scottish Gaelic form of the name Edinburgh, and thus the river is also named for the Water of Leith which runs through the Scottish capital. The original Māori name for the stream was Ōwheo ("The place of Wheo"), Wheo being the name of a local chief whose village stood close to its mouth. This name is now rarely used.

The Leith's source is close to the Dunedin Northern Motorway, part of State Highway 1, 100 metres (330 ft) south of Leith Saddle, at an elevation of some 380 metres (1,250 ft) above sea level. The motorway passes over the Leith Saddle, which lies between the sources of the Leith and the Waitati River, approximately halfway between the northern suburb of Pine Hill and the outlying settlement of Waitati.

From here, the Leith flows south, skirting a water supply reservoir formed behind Sullivan's Dam, which was constructed in 1916. This reservoir, along with the Ross Creek Reservoir on the Ross Creek, one of the Leith's tributaries, provide much of Dunedin's drinking water.

From the southern end of the Sullivan's Dam reservoir, the Leith flows southwest, passing under the motorway and through the wooded Leith Valley. A gravel road parallels the course of this stretch of the river, becoming asphalted close to the point where the Leith meets the urban parts of the city at Glenleith. Several small tributaries join the Leith on this stretch, notably Morrison's Burn.