Lake Manapouri () is located in the South Island of New Zealand. The lake is situated within the Fiordland National Park and the wider region of Te Wahipounamu South West New Zealand World Heritage Area.
Māori History
According to Māori legend Lake Manapouri was created by the tears of two sisters, Moturua and Koronae, who were daughters of an old chief in the region. Koronae journeyed deep into the forest one day only to become stranded after a fall. The lake is New Zealand’s second deepest lake measuring deep. Lake Manapouri is above sea level however due to glaciers, Lake Manapouri has been cut deep into the ground and the bottom of the lake now lies below sea level. with 22 of these being wooded. The outlet however has been diverted due to the development of Manapōuri Hydroelectric Power Station.
Lake Manapouri is often described as New Zealand’s most beautiful lake. However the lake has experienced a decline in numbers of longfin eels due to the construction of the hydro- electric dam blocking eel migration. Beaches have formed on the lake where rivers bring sediment to areas where the near shore relief is not too steep allowing pocket beaches to form. with others find no correlation at all. As a result of the campaign, lake levels were required to be maintained at close to natural levels. of the Guardians of Lake Manapouri and Te Anau. In 2002, the Government — under pressure from the environmental movement — rejected an application of a business, Southland Water 2000, to bottle 40,000 cubic metres of water in 20 hours, twelve times a year, before the water from the power station is released into Doubtful Sound.
Integrated management of the lake
The environmental movement of Save Manapouri campaign is considered to be the first environmental movement in New Zealand.
See also
- List of lakes in New Zealand
- Lakes of New Zealand
- Department of Conservation (New Zealand)
- Save Manapouri campaign