This is two dams down from the Benmore Earth Dam in my previous photos. The water here actuall spills over the top in a smooth motion and is distributed in equal lines below. Very pretty in B&W, I thought.
The lake is created by Waitaki Dam, a 36m high spill weir dam built between 1928 and 1934. The Waitaki power station has an installed capacity of 105MW. Waitaki was the last dam built in New Zealand with excavation done with pick and shovel, not heavy machinery. The power station is to be upgraded by Meridian Energy between 2011 and 2016 at a projected cost of $NZ 60 - 80 million.
