Rainfall sees rise in lake levels

On Thursday, Lake Wanaka had filled slightly since Monday, when the willow tree (centre) was high...
On Thursday, Lake Wanaka had filled slightly since Monday, when the willow tree (centre) was high and dry. Photo by Marjorie Cook.
Lake levels are slowly rising at Wanaka and Hawea, with electricity watchers hoping it signals the start of the usual September spring melt and improved South Island generation capacity.

Contact Energy spokesman Jonathan Hill said on Thursday the rising lake levels were "very pleasing".

The Otago Regional Council reported high rainfall totals in the head waters of Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea, with rainfall of up to 8mm per hour between Monday and Wednesday.

The highest total occurred at Makarora, where 148.5mm fell, with half occurring on Wednesday.

Rainfall was moderate at West Wanaka with 43mm.

River levels also improved over flows seen in recent weeks, but levels downstream of the lakes remained relatively low, the ORC said.

The Clutha River at the Cardrona Confluence averaged 55% below normal with 97.5 cumecs, though levels increased from below 90 cumecs to more than 190mm cumecs toward the end of the week.

The level of Lake Wanaka at 4pm on Thursday was 277.32m (up from 276.4 on Monday), while Lake Hawea was 338.76m (up from 338.15m on Monday).

Both lake levels were steady.

Contact Energy has resource consents from the Otago Regional Council to draw down Lake Hawea to 336m in emergencies, if certain conditions are met.

That draw down has not occurred because those conditions have not yet been triggered.

Extra capacity in the North Island has not been able to be transferred to the South Island because of limitations with the Cook Strait cable.

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