376:
through Åhau A and then back down the river bed. Later that year, downstream of Åhau A, the river was again diverted, this time away from its natural channel and through the completed gates. An earth dam with gravel shoulders was then built on its upstream and downstream sides. The main dam, which blocks the original river channel, is 240 metres long while an adjoining wing dam is 480 metres. When the dam was completed the diversion gates were closed which, beginning in March 1982, impounded the water behind the dam up to and over a temporary weir which had been built downstream of Åhau A. In 1984 the lake was temporarily lowered by 3 metres while this weir was removed to improve the performance of the Åhau A power station. The diversion gates now function as spillway gates to allow excess water to pass safely through the dam. The lake was officially opened on
Saturday 24 April 1982. There was a weekend event which attracted 7000 spectators with the rowing course hosting a regatta attended by 188 crews and representing 80 South Island rowing clubs.
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anchors put down for lane markers before the lake was filled. He reached agreement with the Rowing
Association that it would fund the building of the regatta control building at an estimated cost of NZ$ 75,000. When pressure to complete the building before the official opening of the lake raised the cost to approximately NZ$ 130,000 he used project funds to temporarily bridge the gap until the Rowing Association made full payment.
397:
proposals to reduce the
Ministry of Works' experienced construction workforce and to disestablish Twizel; all of which may have influenced the official displeasure. The principal access road to the lake was named Max Smith Drive by the local community in his honour while the South Island Rowing Association made him its first life member.
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The lake's facilities can accommodate 600 rowing boats and 2000 competitors. The rowing course has eight lanes. The regatta control building contains a first aid room, drug testing area, administration rooms, storage rooms and on the upper floor, facilities for judges and the timekeepers, as well as
375:
Before construction of the dam could start the Åhau River was diverted by cutting a channel through a low, rocky extension of the
Benmore Range and building three diversion gates there which consumed 200,000 cubic metres of concrete. The Åhau River was diverted in August 1980 so that water passed
350:
The lake functions as a surge reservoir for the power scheme. If, during excessive inflows into Lake Åhau which Åhau A is unable to pass or, when there has been a failure of the Åhau canal, Lake Åhau can overflow a weir into the normally dry bed of the upper reaches of the Åhau River and thus
346:
power station. Immediately downstream is a connection to
Wairepo Arm, a small lake. Connected to the Wairepo Arm by way of a culvert under State Highway 8 is Kellands Pond, whose 22 hectare area occupies further gravel pits. There is a spillway (Gate 22) built into the dam which contains 3 gates
396:
Senior officials in the headquarters of the
Ministry of Works alleged this was a misuse of funds. Despite overwhelming support from the local community, he took early retirement rather than face charges under the State Services Act. At the time Smith was voicing disagreement with the government's
392:
This was not planned as part of the hydroelectric project but instead came about as facilities were constructed as a public service on the instructions of Max Smith, the locally based
Project Engineer of the Upper Waitaki Power Project. The rowing course was surveyed, landscaping undertaken and
401:
a commentary room. The lake typically hosts an average of 5 major rowing events a year. The New
Zealand national rowing championships are held there every second year, alternating with the national secondary school rowing championships. (During these the
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The lake was developed by the
Ministry of Works into a major recreational resource for the area with a large number of trees and a holiday park on the lakeside. Ruataniwha is also one of New Zealand's main
351:
into Lake
Ruataniwha. Also, if water cannot pass down the canal to Åhau B then the excess inflows into the lake can be diverted by the spillway down the bed of the lower reaches of the Åhau River to
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with a total discharge capacity of 4,900 cubic metres per second which flows into the normally dry bed of the Åhau River.
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Dam Dwellers: End of an Era ; Living with Hydro-electricity Development in the Waitaki Valley and Mackenzie Country
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View of the canal that flows via Åhau B station from Lake Ruataniwha (centre distance) to Lake Benmore (foreground)
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as part of the Upper Waitaki Power Project between 1977 and 1981 in a gorge created by the
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is contested.) The lake is also used for swimming, yachting, canoeing and windsurfing.
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Ruataniwha discharges through a natural gap in the dam into a canal which feeds the
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The lake is approximately 4.5 km in length and covers 3.4 square km.
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281: in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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The lake takes its name from the Ruataniwha Station, a large
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544:" Opinion: Otago athletics needs to fight its corner"
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power station and also by an overflow discharge from
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Lake Ruataniwha was a filming location for the 2009
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project. It lies on the traditional boundary of the
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228:of Twizel (founded in 1968). Ruataniwha was a
339:down the normally dry bed of the Åhau River.
331:Lake Ruataniwha is fed by the output from the
788:Lakes in catchment (by location or tributary)
619:
567:, 04/11/2013, TRACY MILES, The Timaru Herald
194:. It was formed in 1977â1981 as part of the
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297:Learn how and when to remove this message
464:
366:
471:. Twizel: Sheridan Press. p. 309.
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16:Lake in the South Island of New Zealand
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546:, 16 Nov 2013, Alistair McMurran, ODT
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565:"Lake creator 'man before his time'"
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279:adding citations to reliable sources
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165:3.4 km (1.3 sq mi)
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266:needs additional citations for
220:in the area, part of which the
967:Lakes of the Canterbury Region
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224:purchased as the site for the
1:
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314:New Zealand Ministry of Works
213:two kilometres to the north.
182:is an artificial lake in the
834:Other features (by location)
587:Dam Dwellers â End of an Era
209:provinces, with the town of
7:
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235:who drowned when the canoe
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871:Longest New Zealand rivers
589:. Twizel: Sheridan Press.
173:458 m (1,503 ft)
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585:Sheridan, Marion (1995).
465:Sheridan, Marion (1995).
222:NZ Electricity Department
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35:Rowing on Lake Ruataniwha
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841:Haupapa / Tasman Glacier
243:in the 12th century CE.
728:Major tributaries (by
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692:Towns and settlements
658:upstream â downstream
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312:It was formed by the
922:Waiau Toa / Clarence
666:Administrative areas
656:(below listings are
275:improve this article
576:Sheridan, Page 115.
555:Sheridan, Page 368.
534:Sheridan, Page 149.
525:Sheridan, Page 332.
507:Sheridan, Page 113.
498:Sheridan, Page 330.
455:Sheridan, Page 325.
101: /
419:Last of the Living
409:In popular culture
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105:44.281°S 170.071°E
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846:Mackenzie Country
779:Maerewhenua River
774:Hakataramea River
673:Canterbury Region
516:Martin, Page 203.
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170:Surface elevation
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683:Waitaki District
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184:Mackenzie Basin
180:Lake Ruataniwha
150: countries
135:Primary inflows
127:Artificial lake
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972:Rowing venues
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820:Lake Aviemore
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769:Ahuriri River
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764:Hopkins River
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654:Pacific Ocean
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647:Southern Alps
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635:Waitaki River
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596:0-473-03402-6
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478:9780473034023
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432:Lake Karapiro
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264:This section
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218:sheep-station
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199:hydroelectric
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856:Aviemore Dam
825:Lake Waitaki
815:Lake Benmore
809:
759:Dobson River
754:Pukaki River
749:Tasman River
744:Tekapo River
739:Godley River
678:Otago Region
657:
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494:
482:. Retrieved
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391:
383:
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363:Construction
353:Lake Benmore
349:
341:
330:
311:
308:
293:
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273:Please help
268:verification
265:
215:
188:South Island
179:
178:
162:Surface area
76:South Island
18:
861:Waitaki Dam
851:Benmore Dam
800:Lake Pukaki
795:Lake Tekapo
651:Flows into:
415:zombie film
237:Arai-te-uru
192:New Zealand
153:New Zealand
108: /
96:170°04â²16â³E
83:Coordinates
961:Categories
940:Rangitaiki
904:Rangitīkei
730:confluence
443:References
380:Recreation
318:Åhau River
239:sank near
203:Canterbury
141:Åhau River
93:44°16â²52â³S
892:Whanganui
805:Lake Åhau
704:Otematata
484:12 August
437:Maadi Cup
403:Maadi Cup
337:Lake Åhau
287:July 2020
946:Manawatū
714:Duntroon
426:See also
389:venues.
247:Features
226:township
72:Location
928:Waitaki
910:Mataura
880:Waikato
719:Glenavy
644:Source:
326:Omarama
241:Moeraki
196:Waitaki
186:in the
898:Taieri
699:Twizel
593:
475:
387:rowing
357:Åhau C
344:Åhau B
333:Åhau A
322:Twizel
211:Twizel
934:Åreti
916:Waiau
709:Kurow
233:chief
230:MÄori
207:Otago
148:Basin
944:12:
938:11:
932:10:
591:ISBN
486:2019
473:ISBN
324:and
205:and
122:Type
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277:by
190:of
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649:â
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294:(
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285:(
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
