| Waitaki River |
Website Links For Waitaki |
Information AboutWaitaki River |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT WAITAKI RIVER | |
| canterbury, new zealand | |
| otago | |
| rivers of new zealand | |
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The Waitaki River is a large river in the South Island of New Zealand , some 110 km long. It is the major river of the Mackenzie Basin . It is a Braided River which has Lake Benmore , Lake Aviemore and Lake Waitaki at its headwaters. These are ultimately fed by three large glacial lakes, Pukaki , Tekapo , and Ohau . Lake Benmore and Lake Aviemore are contained by Hydroelectric dams. The Waitaki has several tributaries, notably the Ahuriri River and the Hakataramea River . It passes Kurow and Glenavy before entering the Pacific Ocean between Timaru and Oamaru on the east coast of the South Island. The middle of the river bed forms a political boundary between the Canterbury and Otago Regions . A proposal for a series of canals and dams was made by the Meridian Energy for irrigation and electricity generation on the river. This scheme, known as Project Aqua , planned to divert up to 77% of the lower river's flow to create a hydroelectric scheme, but these plans were dropped in March 2004 . Lack of commercial viability was given as the major reason for the scheme's shelving, although strenuous public protest may also have been a major contributing factor. The river is popular for recreational Fishing and Jetboating . SEE ALSO |
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