Lake Ellesmere
| Lake Ellesmere | ||
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| Sunset on Lake Ellesmere | ||
| Geographical location | Selwyn District , Canterbury , New Zealand | |
| Tributaries | Selwyn River | |
| Location close to the shore | Christchurch | |
| Data | ||
| Coordinates | 43 ° 48 ′ 0 ″ S , 172 ° 25 ′ 0 ″ E | |
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| surface | 20,000 hectares | |
| Maximum depth | 2.7 m | |
| Middle deep | 1.4 m | |
The Lake Ellesmere is a lake in the region Canterbury on the South Island of New Zealand . It is the fifth largest in the country.
geography
The lake is located a few kilometers south of Christchurch directly on the coast and is only separated from the Pacific Ocean by the 28 km long headland Kaitorete Spit . To the east of the lake is the Banks Peninsula .
The lake has a size of around 20,000 hectares . The deepest part of the lake measures 2.7 meters, with the mean water depth being 1.4 meters. The Selwyn River flows into the lake on the northwest side of the lake. The New Zealand State Highway 75 runs east of the lake.
Emergence
The lake was formed around 6000 years ago by the debris deposits of the Rakaia River , which is located southwest of the lake and at that time formed the headland Kaitorete Spit by means of its deposits . Originally designed as a lagoon, today Lake Ellesmere can be called a lake, as the water flows through the Selwyn River and there is no water exchange with the sea. Nevertheless, the lake is salty due to the history of its origins. There is no permanent runoff to the sea. If the water level of the lake becomes threatening for the neighboring agriculture, a drain is created at the southwestern end of the lake at Taumutu , if it does not develop naturally.
nature
The lake and its adjoining natural landscape are home to 166 different species of birds, 133 of which are considered indigenous. In their number they form a population of up to 98,000 copies. 37 species breed in the lake and populate the lake throughout the year. Some areas of the lake are under protection and around 35% of the lake area is looked after by the Department of Conservation (DOC).
A gravel road stretches along the headland from the small settlement Birdling's Flat on the east end. This is the location of the most important stocks of the endemic shrub " Shrubby tororaro " ( Muehlenbeckia astonii ), which is threatened with extinction . 47 different fish species live in the brackish water of the lake, including flounder and eel . 27 species are freshwater fish and 20 species are marine fish. Living on the lake a. Canada Geese and Black Swans .
The lake's ecosystem is considered severely threatened because of human activities in the Canterbury Plains . One reason is the increasingly low water inflow to the lake. Around the Irwell River , which is considered to be another tributary of the lake, 40 more wells were built within just 10 years in the past, which resulted in around 11 million tons of water being withheld from the lake per year. As a result, the water level in the lake continues to drop alarmingly, especially in dry seasons. The website of the Waihora Ellesmere Trust therefore constantly shows the current water level of the lake, which on December 15, 2015, for example, was only 0.74 meters.
Maori designation and possessions
The Māori name of the lake is Te Waihora , " expanding waters ". The lake bed was returned to the property of the Ngāi Tahu under the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act of 1996 .
literature
- Richard Patrick Suggate : Ellesmere (Waihora), Lake . In: Alexander Hare McLintock (Ed.): An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand . Wellington 1966 ( online [accessed December 16, 2015]).
Web links
- Lake Ellesmere (Te Waihora) area . Department of Conservation,accessed December 16, 2015.
- Homepage . waihora ellesmere trust,accessed December 16, 2015.
- Te Waihora - Ellesmere Lake . (PDF 2.1 MB)waihora ellesmere trust,accessed on December 16, 2015(English, brochure).
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Suggate : Ellesmere (Waihora) Lake . In: An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand . 1966.
- ↑ a b c Lake Ellesmere (Te Waihora) area . Department of Conservation , accessed December 16, 2015 .
- ↑ Te Waihora - Ellesmere Lake . (PDF 2.1 MB) waihora ellesmere trust , accessed on December 16, 2015 (English, brochure).
- ^ A b David Haywood : Ellesmere Swansong: The end of a lake? . (PDF 1.5 MB) In: Avenues Magazine . Retrieved December 16, 2015 .
- ↑ a b About the Lake . waihora ellesmere trust , accessed December 16, 2015 .