“Demon Of The River”
Like the Fire Taniwha, the Water Taniwha used an elemental form to attain invulnerability. However, similar to their fiery kin, the Water Taniwha became restricted in its untouchable manifestation, limited to fresh-water rivers, lakes and streams to maintain physical form. Without fresh-water, the Taniwha had to withdraw deep within the natural springs of the Earth to stay alive.
To combat this formidable enemy that stalked one of their main food-gathering environments, the Māori and Aho diverted whole water systems and drained swamp regions to keep the Water Taniwha trapped within pockets of natural springs, where they disappeared when the water source dried and remain locked beneath the earth.