Lake Tekapo
| Lake Tekapo | ||
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| Lake Tekapo , aerial view of the lake from the northeast | ||
| Geographical location | Mackenzie District , Canterbury Region, New Zealand | |
| Tributaries | Cass River , Mistake River , Godley River , Macaulay River, and Coal River (west to east) | |
| Drain | Tekapo Canal , Tekapo River | |
| Islands | Motuariki Island and three smaller ones | |
| Places on the shore | Lake Tekapo (location) | |
| Location close to the shore | Fairlie | |
| Data | ||
| Coordinates | 43 ° 53 ′ S , 170 ° 31 ′ E | |
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| Altitude above sea level | 710 m | |
| surface | 95 km² | |
| length | 30 km | |
| width | 2-6 km | |
| Maximum depth | 120 m | |
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particularities |
Easternmost of the three central glacial lakes in Canterbury |
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The Lake Tekapo is a former glacial lake and after its impoundment with around 95 of the largest lake in the region km² Canterbury on the South Island of New Zealand .
geography
The Lake Tekapo is on 710 m height centrally located in the Mackenzie Basin region Canterbury , making it one the Mackenzie District . The lake, which is bounded in the north by the alluvial land of the Godley River , in the east by the Two Thumb Range and in the west by the southern foothills of the New Zealand Alps , has a length of 25 km and covers an area of around 95 km². In addition to many smaller and larger streams, the Cass River , the Mistake River , the Godley River , the Macaulay River and the Coal River represent the largest tributaries of the lake from west to east . The main outflow of the lake is the Tekapo A hydroelectric power station , which carries the water of the lake flows into the Tekapo Canal after generating electricity . Part of the runoff is also regulated via the Tekapo River . There are four islands in the lake, of which Motuariki Island is the larger.
The landscape of the lake is embedded in the surrounding mountains, up to 1900 m high, which flatten to the south and lead the lake to the northeastern edge of the Mackenzie Basin . The weather divide of the Alpine ridge leads to low rainfall of only 575 mm per year.
Environment and description
The lake is mainly fed by the melt water from the glaciers Classen Glacier , Gray Glacier , Maud Glacier and Godley Glacier , which gives the lake a turquoise color in connection with the finely ground rock bedrock.
On the south bank of the lake, in close proximity to the drain, is the small town of Lake Tekapo , which bears the name of the lake. There are several tourist facilities in the place, which together with the lake make it increasingly attractive as a tourist destination. Since the region between Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki is hardly populated and is known for its very dark night sky without the influence of artificial lighting, the University of Pennsylvania, in cooperation with the University of Canterbury , decided in 1963 to mount Mount John, which is close to the lake to build an astronomical observatory , which in 1982 was continued by the University of Canterbury as the Mt John University Observatory .
Power plants
The Tekapo A and B power plants used the water of Lake Tekapo to generate electricity. A tunnel (length 1.4 km, diameter 6 m) leads from the southern bank of the lake in a south-westerly direction to the Tekapo A power plant . After it has been used to generate electricity, the water is fed into the Tekapo Canal (length 25.5 km, capacity 130 m³ / s) to the Tekapo B. power plant.
The reservoir targets of the lake vary depending on the season: the minimum retention target is 701.8 m, the maximum is 710.9 m above sea level . About 200 m from the lakeshore there is a weir ( Lake Tekapo Control Structure or Gate 16 ) on the Tekapo River , which limits the outflow from the lake. A maximum of 850 m³ / s can be discharged. The SH 8 runs over the weir . Approx. 2 km below Gate 16 there is another weir ( Gate 17 ), which dams the Tekapo River to a small lake ( Lake George Scott ). Water can be passed through gate 17 into the Tekapo Canal or into the otherwise dry Tekapo River.
literature
- Genesis Energy (Ed.): Tekapo Power Scheme . 2013 (English, online [PDF; 1.7 MB ; accessed on February 17, 2017] observation period July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013).
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Lake Tekapo area . Department of Conservation , accessed February 19, 2017 .
- ↑ a b Tekapo Power Scheme . 2013, p. 7 .
- ↑ Coordinates and latitude determinations of Lake Tekapo were made by Google Earth .
- ↑ Topo250 maps - East Coast - Timaru . Land Information New Zealand , accessed February 17, 2017 .
- ^ Simon Nathan : New Zealand Lakes . In: Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand . Ministry for Culture & Heritage , September 24, 2007, accessed February 19, 2017 .
- ^ A brief history of Mt John Observatory . Tekapo Tourism , accessed February 18, 2017 .
- ↑ a b Tekapo Power Scheme . 2013, p. 11-13 .