Lake Waitaki facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Waitaki |
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Waitaki Dam
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 Lake Waitaki
Location in South Island
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| Location | Waimate and Waitaki Districts, Canterbury region, South Island |
| Coordinates | 44°40′29″S 170°23′56″E / 44.67472°S 170.39889°E |
| Primary inflows | Waitaki |
| Primary outflows | Waitaki |
| Basin countries | New Zealand |
| Surface elevation | 230 m (750 ft) |
Lake Waitaki is a special lake in New Zealand's South Island. It's not a natural lake, but one that was created by people. It's the smallest and oldest of three lakes that are part of a big project to make electricity from water. This project is called the Waitaki hydroelectric scheme.
Lake Waitaki sits on the Waitaki River, downstream from two other lakes, Lake Aviemore and Lake Benmore. It's located near the town of Kurow. The lake is mostly within the Canterbury region, even though it used to be on the border with the Otago region.
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What is Lake Waitaki?
Lake Waitaki is a man-made lake. This means it was created by building a large wall, called a dam, across a river. The dam holds back the river's water, forming a lake behind it. Lake Waitaki is the first lake you reach when you follow the Waitaki River towards the sea.
How Was Lake Waitaki Formed?
Lake Waitaki was formed by the Waitaki Dam. This dam is 36 meters (about 118 feet) tall. It was built a long time ago, between 1928 and 1934. The dam is a "spill weir" type, which means it has a way for extra water to flow over the top if the lake gets too full.
What's really interesting is how the dam was built. It was the last dam in New Zealand where most of the digging and moving earth was done by hand, using tools like picks and shovels. Imagine how much hard work that must have been, without big machines!
Making Electricity at Lake Waitaki
The main reason Lake Waitaki and its dam were built was to create electricity. This is called hydroelectric power.
How Does Hydroelectric Power Work?
Hydroelectric power uses the force of moving water to spin large machines called turbines. These turbines are connected to generators, which then make electricity. The water from Lake Waitaki flows through pipes and spins these turbines, creating clean energy for homes and businesses.
The Waitaki Power Station
The power station at Lake Waitaki can produce 105 megawatts (MW) of electricity. A megawatt is a huge amount of power! This power station helps to supply electricity to many parts of New Zealand.
The company that runs the power station, Meridian Energy, has been working to make it even better. Between 2011 and 2016, they upgraded the power station to make it more efficient and reliable.
