Although the rivermouth is enclosed by a large sandbar, with a high tide, larger vessels can pass safely and enter the river, which is navigable for 37 kilometres (23 mi) upstream. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, the banks of the river were host to a thriving industry of logging and coal-mining. However, the risks and costs of transporting goods down the Mōkau eventually ended such enterprise.
Mokau River resource inventory, New Plymouth, [N.Z.]: Dept. of Lands and Survey, 1986
Gray, Brian E. (2007), The vital link : crossing the Mokau, Urenui, [N.Z.]: Pilot Gardens
Hanchet, Stuart M.; Hayes, John W. (1989), Fish and fisheries values of the Mokau River and tributaries draining the Mokau coalfield, Rotorua, [N.Z.]: Freshwater Fisheries Centre, MAFFish
Needham, Brad (2004), The variation in river mouth dynamics, spit and shoreline morphology at Mokau (M.Sc., University of Waikato)
Smith, Brian J. (2007), Adult aquatic insect fauna of the Mokau River, Hamilton East, [N.Z.]: Environment Waikato Regional Council
