Dams in New Zealand

August 1989

Cover Photo: Rangipo Spillway

Dams in New Zealand

Preface

The 40 year period from the construction of the Maretai Dam to the substantial completion of the Clyde Dam in 1989 has been one of extraordinary dam building activity in New Zealand. Most dams have been built for hydro electric or public water supply purposes and some have multiple uses. All have been designed and built with great care and state of the art skills. Now as the 1980's decade draws to a close it seems that the last decade of the century will see few new dams and that dam engineers may be more concerned with safety surveillance, cost effective maintenance and optimum operation. It is thus appropriate that NZSOLD should publish this book to place on record in a convenient reference form, information and illustrations relating to some of the more notable dams that have been built since dam construction commenced in New Zealand near the start of the 20th century. This book is the Society's tribute to the owners, designers and constructors of those major civil engineering structures - the dams, which contribute so much to the standard of living enjoyed by New Zealand. The Society records its gratitude to its Publications Committee, its Technical Secretary, and the various dam owners who have provided the high quality colour photographs and other source material at no cost to the Society thereby making this book possible.

I R Pairman Chairman

It will be noted that for dams now in the ownership of the Electricity Corporation of New Zealand Ltd, designers and constructors are varyingly shown as Public Works Department, Ministry of Works, Ministry of Works and Development, State Hydro-electric Department, NZ Electricity Department and Electricity Division of Ministry of Energy. This is due to changes in organisation and name that have taken place over the years, however the essential core knowledge and expertise remains with their present day counterparts - principally Works Consultancy Division of Works and Development Services Corporation and PowerDesignBuild Group Ltd, a subsidiary of the Electricity Corporation of New Zealand Ltd. No doubt similar changes will have occurred within local government and private consultants.

Dams in New Zealand

The publication of this book by the New Zealand Society on Large Dams is a significant event. Here, for the first time, descriptions and photographs are brought together in one volume. It indicates that the Society's committee is proud of the achievements of New Zealand's civil engineers in constructing and maintaining these facilities. Dams are often tucked away in seldom-visited parts of the countryside. Very few become recognized tourist attractions. The excellent colour photographs presented here, which in many cases are the result of specially commissioned aerial camera work, will enable the beauty of many more to be appreciated by the arm-chair traveller. At the same time, this book demonstrates the capabilities of New Zealand designers, constructors and operators in this field. With its earthquake hazard and its geologically recent soils, this country presents special challenges in the design and construction of dams. These problems have been successfully overcome, but not without occasional set-backs, sometimes major. Dams are an essential part of our civilization. The earliest dam in recorded history was at Kosheish, in Egypt, where a masonry structure is reported to have been constructed about 2900 BC, across the Nile to supply water to King Menes' capital at Memphis, though nothing of it now remains. Even by today's standards, with a height of 15 m, it was a sizeable structure. This shows that dam-building was a well-established art even at the dawn of recorded history. Water supplies to cities and irrigation of land were the earliest purposes for which dams were built. Life in cities as we know it is totally dependent on adequate supplies of water. A safe water supply and adequate sewerage are the prime essentials for public health, though seldom does the average citizen pause to consider this obvious fact. Most, though not all, of this water comes from impounding dams. Now, the generation of hydro-electric power is one of the main benefits derived. Dams confer benefits beyond the immediate one of storing needed water. Less obviously, by virtue of its storage capability, a dam reduces downstream peak flows in floods. Occasionally, the lake created can become a scenic attraction. A view of snow- capped Mount Egmont (Taranaki) reflected in the tranquil waters of Lake Mangamahoe has appeared in many calendars. Of the tourists, local and overseas, who visit this beauty-spot, few, I suspect, realize that it is a man-made lake or that it produces hydro electric power for New Plymouth and has been doing so for over half a century. New Zealand's success in recent years in the sport of rowing has been greatly assisted by having on Lake Karapiro a course of international championship standard. The environmental impact of a dam can also be detrimental, of course. Of recent years dams have been getting a tad press'. Popular articles emphasizing the negative effects of the High Aswan dam on the Nile, for example, have received wide circulation while completely ignoring the benefits. A balanced appraisal would be more helpful. Recognition of the importance of environmental effects and careful treatment of the development to take account of these effects is now an essential part of dam design. As long as people of the community continue to demand a high material standard of living, with reliable utilities, further development of natural resources in this way is inevitable. The most spectacular type of dam is undoubtedly the concrete arch. This type can only be built at sites where both the foundation beneath the dam and the valley walls supporting its abutments are of sound rock. Such conditions, common in the Swiss Alps, are more rarely encountered in this country. Maraetai (height 87 m) is the highest dam of this type in New Zealand. Other types of concrete structure, including gravity dams (which rely for stability on their mass), buttress and multiple arch dams, also require solid foundations, but their demands on the valley walls are less severe. Least demanding of all are earth- and rock-fill dams which may be sufficiently flexible to accommodate foundation deformation. There are some who would claim that these are the least spectacular in appearance. An earth-fill dam can, and indeed some do, look like just another hillside! No-one could deny, however, that Benmore, our highest dam, is a spectacular sight. Of the dams constructed in the latter half of this century, the vast majority are of earth-fill construction. There are two main reasons for this. One is that earthmoving has steadily become less expensive by comparison with concrete construction; the other, of course, is that most of the dam sites which could provide solid foundations have already been used! This book will, I feel sure, prove interesting and enjoyable to all those who peruse it, as well as being a valuable work of reference.

Peter W Taylor Emeritus Professor, University of Auckland.

Location Map
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. Waingaro Whau Valley Lower Nihotupu Waitakere Hay Stream Wairoa Mangatangi Kapukapu M c Laren Falls Mangaonui Matahina Karapiro Arapuni Waipapa Aniwhenua Maraetai Whakamaru

18. Aratiatia 19. Hinemaiai

20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. Rangipo Mangamahoe Waikaremoana Moawhango Patea Makara Tiritea Mangahao

28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40.

Cobb Maitai Waihopai Lake Argyle Pukaki Ruataniwha Benmore Hawea Aviemore Waitaki Clyde Roxburgh Mahinerangi

1. Waingaro Dam
Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Catchment area sq km Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by NZMS 260 P05 912596 Whangarei Waiwhakangarongoro Irrigation 6.45 1981 - 1983 Earthfill Soil foundation 33 x 400 720 Uncontrolled 6 5100 440 Ministry of Agriculture Design - Tonkin & Taylor Ltd Project Management - Ministry of Works & Development McBreen Jenkins - Wilkins & Davies Joint Venture

Construction by

The Waingaro dam forms one of two storage reservoirs providing irrigation supplies to the Kerikeri district. It is designed to provide up to 610 1/s supply. The earthfill dam is built of completely weathered basalts, except for weathered Cretaceo-tertiary shale occupying the upstream left abutment. Weathering of the foundation basalts reduces rapidly with depth so that permeable fresh basalt occurs about 8 metres below the valley floor. The dam is essentially a homogeneous earth dam except that higher plasticity material was specified i mmediately upstream of centreline and around drains and structures. A narrow central chimney drain is provided to control seepage pressures and protect against layering and possible earthquake cracking. A downstream toe drainage blanket taken down to moderately permeable basalt is provided to relieve foundation pressures arising from any deficiencies in the locally reinforced natural upstream blanket. A foundation drainage blanket is also provided beneath part of the upstream left abutment to help achieve consistent drainage conditions and seepage pressures upstream for the rapid drawdown design case. Instrumentation includes hydraulic piezometers, hydraulic settlement cells and earth pressure cells on the diversion/delivery culvert. Toe seepage is about 3 1/s compared with the design estimate of 2 1/s. Foundation settlement is up to 375 mm compared with 100 mm estimated. No construction problems of significance occurred. Drawoff for supply is taken through any one of three pipes extending vertically into the reservoir to different levels from the head of the rectangular culvert built for diversion. A light steel tower helps support the pipes and has a platform from which intake screens can be serviced by winching. The tower is accessed by boat. Control valves for supply are housed in a chamber at the head of the culvert and supply and scour pipes are taken through the culvert. There is a separate low level scour intake and scour pipeline with the scour valve at the downstream end. The reservoir occupies a relatively large percentage of the catchment so that flood routing is very effective. A small service spillway which has a semi-circular bellmouth entry leading into a pipe fitted with an underflow weir plate, is designed to take 6 cumecs and throttle at 0.5 metre flood rise corresponding with a 100 year flood. An open chute with a roughened base leads to an impact basin. Floods above 100 year return period cause flow over an unlined auxiliary spillway at the head of the reservoir into an adjacent stream.

2. Whau Valley Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Catchment area sq km Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 1 N20 800986 Whangarei Waiarohia Water Supply 7.36 July 1966 - May 1969 Earth type, Soil foundation 26 x 230 425 Uncontrolled 170 ( + 25 emergency spillway) 2045 220 Whangarei City Council Tonkin and Taylor Limited Green and McCahill Limited

The Whau Valley dam is located three km northwest of the commercial centre of Whangarei and is built over both compressible and permeable zones of soil. It stores the bulk of the city's water supply and dams the Waiarohia Stream which passes through the city. Because of its location relative to the city, special measures were taken in design to achieve a high level of safety. The surrounding hills are of tertiary argillites and greywackes which have weathered to considerable depths to form silty clays. These plastic clays were used to build a homogeneous earth dam able to accommodate substantial settlement. The abutments are composed of stiff silty clay for depths of about 15 metres. The original U-shaped valley is infilled to a depth of approximately 55 metres by sediments in four distinct subsoil zones comprising silty clay mixed with gravels and cobbles, clayey silt, and graded scoracious sands with silt lenses and a horizontal permeability of 0.0001 to 0.00001 m/s overlying gravels in a clay matrix. Reservoir seepage beneath the embankment is reduced to a rolled fill clay cutoff into the low permeability silts and a "plastic concrete" cutoff wall up to 15 metres deep taken through the sand and gravels into the low permeability gravelly clay matrix. The embankment also has an inclined chimney drain to ensure minimal pore pressures in the downstream section of the embankment and upstream and downstream drainage blankets over the foundation. Relatively flat embankment slopes were adopted because of the weak near surface foundation materials with reliance on pore pressure dissipation during construction for stability, assisted by the drainage blankets. Seepage collected by the downstream blanket and chimney drain discharges into a filtered longitudinal subsoil drain at the downstream toe. Piezometers monitor pore pressures in the embankment fill and foundation of the dam. Up to 1.4 metre of settlement occurred beneath the central sections. A combined 4.27 metre diameter diversion-spillway tunnel passes through the left abutment. An ungated free overflow bellmouth spillway intake connects into the diversion tunnel and through a stilling basin back into the original stream channel. The service spillway is supplemented by a 30 metre wide unlined emergency spillway through a natural saddle on the right abutment which would come into operation only during a 5000 year return period flood. A 3 metre diameter reinforced concrete valve tower is joined at the base by means of a reinforced concrete box culvert to the diversion-spillway tunnel. The tower contains water intakes, valves and screens at varying levels and two low level valves for scour and emergency dewatering. A 75 metre long steel bridge provides access to the tower from the left abutment.

3. Lower Nihotupu Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Catchment area sq km Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 260 R11 541 698 Auckland Nihotupu Stream Water Supply 13 1945 - 1948 Earth, Waitemata series (miocene) sandstones 24.7 x 381 359 Double-sided trough type - uncontrolled 480 4805 715 Auckland Regional Authority Auckland City Council Downer & Co.

The Lower Nihotupu dam is located alongside the Huia Road at the mouth of Nihotupu Stream. The embankment is founded on Waitemata series (Miocene) sandstones and mudstones which underlie the Waitakere andesitic conglomerates. The embankment is keyed into the country rock by means of a low concrete cut-off wall and by a grout curtain on centre line. The bank itself comprises a clay-silt core section flanked by increasingly coarsening fill to silty gravels at both faces. The upstream face is finished to a slope of 1 in 3 and is faced with hand packed basalt stonework. The downstream face is sloped 2.5 to 1, bermed and grassed. Waitemata strata weather readily to a very cohesive residual clay. This material dominated the vicinity of the dam and was in surplus supply. Silts and gravels however, were confined to flood plain terrace deposits in the valley floor and were in limited supply. Core design in particular therefore called for development of clay mixes stabilised with closely husbanded silts and grits. At the time of its construction the darn created considerable interest as the first controlled rolled-fill structure in the Dominion. The fill materials available and the vagaries of Auckland weather called for very close supervision of material selection, moisture control, and compaction techniques, and to this end a fully equipped soil mechanics laboratory was established and used continuously. Construction problems largely revolved around techniques for working, mixing and drying this cohesive fill to optimum moisture content appropriate to compaction with tractor-drawn equipment and sheep-foot rollers. Auckland's well-spread rainfall gives rise to short working seasons for this type of work, and called for very concentrated effort whenever favourable weather eventuated. The bank was completed in 180 working days spread over three seasons at an average placing rate of 2,000 cu. metres per placing day. The spillway at Lower Nihotupu is a double-sided trough type of 480 cumecs capacity located in the eastern abutment. The valve tower adjoins the spillway and seals the original 3.35 metre diameter diversion tunnel.

4. Waitakere Dam
Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Catchment area sq km Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 260 Q11 466 769 Auckland Waitakere Water Supply 8.2 1907 - 1910. Raised 4.9 metres 1926 - 1927 Mass concrete 25.3 x 175 25.2 Broad crested weir 1,850 278 Auckland Regional Authority Auckland City Council Auckland City Council

Waitakere dam is located on the Waitakere Stream at the top of a 100 metre high cliff formerly known as the Waitakere Falls. It is founded in the Piha Formation which consists of interbedded fine and coarse pyroclastic deposits. The site is intersected by two sets of major joints. On both upper abutments the foundations are deeply weathered and relatively weak. The dam is a concrete gravity structure with a constant radius arch. Arch action is not significant in the stability analysis. A shear key approximately 1.5 metre x 1.5 metre is provided beneath the foundation near the upstream face. Construction was in two distinct stages approximately 16 years apart. The second stage involved raising the height of the dam 4.9 metres and widening it by adding to the downstream face. Andesitic boulders up to 500 mm diameter were placed in the mass concrete to save concrete and to help reduce temperature.

5. Hays Stream Earth Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Catchment area sq km Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 260 R12 896 567 Papakura Hays Stream Water Supply 6.4 1966 -1967 Earth/rockfill gravity dam on rock/soil foundations 25.9 x 71 57 Uncontrolled 100 1230 141 Papakura City Council Mandeno Chitty and Bell NZ Roadmakers Ltd

Papakura City Council has been responsible for supplying potable water to its residents since 1922 in which year a small concrete dam was constructed in the headwaters of Hays Stream, approximately 4 km from the city boundary. This low-level intake structure provided negligible storage and became increasingly inadequate over the succeeding 40 years. The Hays Stream water supply source was sufficiently nearby and plentiful to prompt a decision in 1961 towards constructing a new storage dam rather than joining the Auckland City Council (later Auckland Regional Authority) water supply scheme. Early proposals for 7.6 metre and 15.2 metre concrete arch dams were set aside on economic grounds in favour of an 18.3 metre earth dam using weathered rock and clay core materials available on site. A contract for a sum of $118,580 was eventually let to NZ Roadmakers Limited for a 24.5 metre high earth dam. The dam spans a steep and narrow gully, immediately upstream of the old low-level dam and is founded on weathered rock with its clay core keyed into bedrock. A grout curtain was installed to minimise seepage under the core. The spillway was formed 200 metres south east of the dam by extending a natural gully into a 270 metre long trapezoidal channel. The 24.3 metre wide spillway weir was designed to carry a 1000 year return period flood. The contractor elected not to provide a temporary flood bypass flume during dam construction and a severe storm in 1966 overtopped the partially completed dam resulting in the loss of a quantity of granular material from the downstream face. Replacement material was won by changing the shape of the spillway channel. During construction a design change provided for the dam height to be increased by 1.52 metre over the original design. This was accomplished by decreasing the crest width and increasing slightly the batter of the downstream face. The change allowed a significant increase in reservoir storage although this was not realised until 11 years later when the spillway crest was raised about 1 metre by constructing a concrete block wall across the apron. As constructed the dam lacked any specific measures for the control or collection of seepage. In 1978 a study was made into seepage through the dam and toe drains were installed in the downstream face for collection and monitoring of seepage water. The treatment of Hays Stream water for Papakura City supply has always been a significant problem owing to the high levels of iron and manganese present, and the very high organic and clay loadings. Only since facilities were installed for aeration of the dam water in 1980 has the iron and manganese problem become manageable and very high levels of chemical dosing are constantly required.

6. Wairoa Dam
Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Catchment area sq km Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 260 S12 987 532 Manakau Wairoa Urban water supply and flood control 13.05 1971 - 1975 Earth on rock/ soil 47 x 213 685 Uncontrolled bellmouth 122 12,000 1,000 Auckland Regional Authority Auckland Regional Authority Downer & Co.

Wairoa dam is located in the Hunua ranges at the head of a rejuvenated section of the Wairoa stream in argillite and greywacke of lower jurassic age with recent perched sedimentary strata on the right abutment. Near vertical bedding planes of siliceous, manganiferous strata occurred on both abutments. The probable maximum flood of 122 cumecs was derived from limited-variate probability and NZ rainfall intensity envelope to give the design flood. It gave a 2.4 m head over the bellmouth spillway crest which is 4 m below dam crest. The emergency spillway is an open grassed chute with 1.52 m of freeboard and a capacity of 141 cumecs. Spoil from excavation provided much of the earth fill. A single tunnel pierces the right abutment. Initially for stream diversion, its functions now comprise stream diversion, spillway discharge, draw-off pipe (under floor), scour conduit, valve tower ventilation and access. The obvious economy has some detractions. The upstream placement of the manually operated scour valve is not ideal in an emergency and the lighting in the spillway arm has been swept off by tree branches in a flood, even though the conduit cannot fill and the long boom is supposed to hold back floating debris. Core material above the cracking depth was selected with a high plasticity index not required at greater depth. A design feature is an upstream sloping clayey silt core for better stability than the conventional vertical core. A vertical, single grade, chimney drain/transition zone stands vertically downstream of the core. The curved plan shape was dictated by the shape of the valley and the position of sidestream gullies.

7. Mangatangi Dam
Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Catchment area sq km Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 260 S12 067 516 Manakau Mangatangi Urban water supply and flood control 39.17 1969 - 1977 Earth on rock/soil 78 x 332 2,140 Uncontrolled 510 37,000 1,700 Auckland Regional Authority ARA/Tonkin & Taylor Green & McCahill

Argillite and interbedded coarse grained greywacke of the late Jurassic age, in all stages of weathering from clayey silt to unweathered rock in the riverbed, forms the steeply sided dam site in the Hunua Wharekawa ranges. The poor durability of the argillite rock contrasts its eminent suitability in the weathered form for earth fill. The crystalline greywacke on the other hand made first class riprap and chimney drain but in the weathered form it was wet in situ and being mixed with hard rounded cobbles, was unsuitable for the embankment. Geologically recent greywacke sediments and small pockets of Taupo volcanic ash were also encountered. The design flood was the probable maximum derived from limited variate probability and NZ envelope of maximum rainfall intensity. It used 3.05 m of the 4.5 m of freeboard available. The emergency spillway is an open grassed chute with an erodible embankment at design flood level. Excavation of the chute provided much of the fill for the dam shoulders. A single tunnel pierces the right abutment. Its functions included river diversion, spillway discharge, scour conduit, valve tower ventilation and emergency assess. The upstream placement of the motor driven scour valve is an undesirable aspect in view of possible failure under emergency conditions. The 3000 m draw-off tunnel too has been criticised for emerging at the valve tower base instead of a downstream position. The stilling basin features a deflector hood to force a hydraulic jump in order to shorten the structure. Modern trends suggest a ski jump would have been more suitable and less prone to damage. An upstream sloping clayey silt core gives better stability than the more unusual vertical core. High plasticity core material largely of recent sedimentary origin required stockpiling, discing and drying. The high plasticity below the cracking depth has been the subject of some criticism because of its high cost and potential for differential settlement. Seepage through the abutments and contact zone was kept to very low figures by means of (a) high plasticity fill against the closely jointed rock in the contact zone and (b) clay blanketing of excavated upstream abutment slopes. A double layer transition chimney drain stands vertically at the downstream side of the core. In combination with extensive downstream shoulder contact drains it drains safely any seepage through the core and abutments.

8. Kapukapu Detention Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Catchment area sq km Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 260 T13 484 231 Paeroa Kapukapu Stream Flood control 1.94 1987 - 1988 Compacted earth on weathered Andesite and Andesite Breccia soil 15 x 200 60 Uncontrolled 47 at 1.0 m depth 140 42.5 Hauraki Catchment Board Hauraki Catchment Board Staff D D Fenton & Sons/Hauraki Catchment Board

Plan

The Kapukapu Detention Dam is located in the lower valley 01 this steep catchment of the Kapukapu Stream on the Coromandel Range and is immediately downstream of the confluence of the Kapukapu and a small tributary. Both streams form a broad ponding area within the bounding ridges. The site largely consists of clays formed from weathered andesite and ash, with some andesitic gravels in the bed of the valley. The dam itself is a simple compacted earth embankment. Borrow material came primarily from within the ponding area and from the spillway channel. Bank batters are relatively flat to minimise maintenance, while allowing continued use within the present farming situation. The culvert is a standard 1050 mm diameter RRJRC pipe on a concrete mattress. The flow is restricted to the design four cumecs by an orifice plate at the inlet. The dam is keyed into the gravels in the floor of the valley, with a cut off trench up to six metres deep. Construction of the dam was undertaken by conventional earthmoving machinery, being excavator and dump truck for the foundation, and motorscrapers for the major earth fill.

9. McLaren Falls Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Catchment area sq km Year of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 260 U14 782726 Tauranga Mangapapa Hydro electric 100 1921 Arch dam, rock foundation 23 x 99 1.2 Uncontrolled 1600 250 70 Tauranga Joint Generation Committee Tauranga Borough Council Tauranga Borough Council

McLaren Falls dam was designed and built by Tauranga Borough Council in 1921 under engineering direction of Mr Lloyd Mandeno. This construction was part of an electricity generation scheme, damming the Mangapapa River to form a storage reservoir known as Lake McLaren. Additions were made to these works in 1978 when the spillway part was raised 2 metres and the dam crest modified. These alterations increased storage levels by 2 metres and were part of the diversion of Lake McLaren into a new power development. A notable feature of the original construction is the use of low strength aggregates for concrete. Although only 22 km from Tauranga there was no roading in the area at the time and access to the site was very difficult. This prohibited the importing of quality stone so local rhyolite with low compressive strength was quarried on site and a higher cement content used to provide required concrete strength. This concrete work was cored and tested before additions were made in 1978 and found to have improved considerably with age. Later additions comprised raising the spillway section until level with the arch dam crest. The dam crest was reshaped to provide spillover suitability. Both dam and spillway sections now retain water to the same level and both act as overflow spillways in flood.

10. Mangaonui Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Catchment area sq km Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 260 U15 777 661 Tauranga Mangaonui Hydro Electric 5.2 (Fed by diversion tunnels from adjacent catchments) 1970 - 1972 Earth dam rock/soil foundation 29 x 134 101 Controlled by a single inflatable rubber dam in spillway channel 125 370 78 Tauranga Joint Generation Committee Mandeno Chitty & Bell Canadian Construction Company

Mangaonui Dam is an earth structure on the Mangaonui Stream so forming Lake Mangaonui as part of the Wairoa River Hydro Electric Power Scheme. The structure is formed from local deposits of ash and ignimbrite with an ash core. Construction was completed in 1972. A concrete lined channel spillway is formed through ignimbrite cut in the right abutment and diversion for construction was provided by a concrete culvert along the old stream bed and now incorporated into the dam. This diversion line was sealed by plugging the downstream end and so remains pressurised within the dam body. Monitoring of line and level has been maintained since construction, with piezometres and drain flow measurements being added in 1983. By 1988 the latter were indicating an increase in seepage flows along discrete paths within the dam and deterioration or limitation of the original internal drainage system. This has prompted the construction of external drainage systems with a rock barrage overlay in the dam toe area. In 1989 a 1.6 metre diameter inflatable rubber dam was installed in the spillway channel. This is used as a spillway gate retaining water levels to 1.5 metres above spillway crest during normal conditions with automatic deflation of the rubber dam during flood leaving the spillway channel open for maximum discharge capacity.

11. Matahina Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway gates Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by NZMS 260 V16 745 011 Rotorua Rangitaiki Hydro Electric 1961 - 1967 Rock shoulder with earth core, compact tertiary alluvials. 86 x 345 4,200 Surface chute with ski-jump type bucket 3 radial gates each 12.5 m high, 8.5 m wide 1980 33,000 Electricity Corporation of NZ Ltd Civil works Ministry of Works, Electrical works - New Zealand Electricity Department Civil works Ministry of Works, Electrical works - New Zealand Electricity Department

Construction by

The Matahina Dam has been built at a site where the Rangitaiki River has cut a gorge completely through an extensive sheet of volcanic rock (ignimbrite). Dam abutments are columnar jointed hard rock at upper levels but compact gravels, sands, and silty clays of Tertiary age at lower levels. A major transcurrent fault traverses the rock of the left abutment approximately 500 metres from the dam and splinter faults from this feature intersect within the dam foundation. The dam has shells of hard ignimbrite rock and transition zones of the finer and softer grades of the same material. The central core of rolled weathered greywacke (saprolite) is of moderate width (0.33 head) and is inclined slightly downstream. It is extending downwards into the foundation sediments by a 6 metre deep cut-off plastic concrete. This cut-off is extended under the rock on the right abutment by an articulated concrete tongue wall. Further protection against underseepage is provided by a curtain of drain wells on the downstream side and extending 30 metres into the foundations. Dam and foundations are extensively instrumented with piezometers. Very extensive grouting was required to seal or consolidate the open columnar jointed rock of the abutments. Over 15,000 tonnes of cement was used in curtain grouting with an average consumption of 1.28 tonnes per sq metre on the right abutment. Consolidation grouting below structures used a further 4,000 tonnes. The site is equipped with five strong motion accelerographs, three within the dam and two at the abutments. A large array of surface markers on the dam and concrete structures is tied into a wide spread geodetic network. This network monitors movement on the transcurrent fault as well as of the dam. The dam withstood a major earthquake in March 1987. The maximum acceleration experienced at the dam crest was 0.42g horizontally and 0.29g vertically. Major repair works were undertaken in 1988.

12. Karapiro Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway gates Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 206 T15 392 160 Hamilton Waikato Hydro Electric 1940 -1947 Arch with gravity abutments, greywacke rock 66.8 x 332 153 Surface chute, syphon 4 vertical lift gates each 7.0 metres high, 6.4 metres wide 747 spillway, 102 syphons 87,000 7,700 Electricity Corporation of NZ Ltd State Hydro Electric Department State Hydro Electric Department

Karapiro is the last hydro station down the Waikato River from Taupo. It was planned prior to the 1939-45 war but because of the shortage of materials and manpower was not completed until 1947. The difficult supply position overseas also led to the policy of New Zealand design and fabrication of mechanical parts. The exception to this rule was the 50 ton diversion gate which is of UK origin. The dam was designed as a variable radius arch with a high span to height ratio. The right abutment gravity section incorporates the power intakes, spillway and syphons. An unusual feature of this block is that an inspection and drainage gallery in the shape of a quarter circle is located external to the structure on the upstream face. When the lake was filled, an old hydro station, Horohora built in 1910-13 was drowned. The lake is now the site of an international standard rowing course.

13. Arapuni Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway gates Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 260 T15 166 457 Hamilton Waikato Hydro Electric 1923 -1929 Gravity arch, ignimbrite rock floor and abutments 64 x 94 45.8 Surface chute with free fall energy dissipator 4 radial gates each 5.5 m high x 7 m wide 778 33,300 13,800 Electricity Corporation of NZ Ltd Public Works Department, Armstong Whitworth Public Works Department, Armstong Whitworth

Arapuni Dam, the first government built hydro station to be operated on the Waikato River, is located in a narrow rock gorge. A site feature is an old, higher level watercourse which leaves the river upstream of the dam site and rejoins the river downstream of the gorge. The site was ideal for the type of development adopted, namely a high dam in the gorge with the headrace and spillway located in the old natural watercourse. In the final design, the power intake was located 1.2 km down the tailrace from the dam and the powerhouse in the gorge, enabling a gross head of 53 metres to be developed for power. The station was first operated in 1929 without a headrace lining and without any surface protection of the section of the watercourse where several falls previously existed. After approximately one year's operation there was a forced close down because of the tilting of the rock section between the headrace and the river gorge brought about by water ingress into the rock jointing system. There was also massive erosion of the old watercourse with the passage of flood discharges over the waterfall length. The headrace was lined and the spillway section of the old channel concreted to enable the station to be reopened in 1932. A new spillway by-passing the existing headrace was built in 1988-89. Replacement of the existing headrace lining is planned for 1989-90.

14. Waipapa Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway gates Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by NZMS 260 T16 878 140 Hamilton Waikato Hydro Electric 1955 - 1961 Roller earthfill, ignimbrite rock 37 x 160 348 Surface chute, sluice 2 radial gates 9.3 m high, 7.5 m wide. Sluice 2 vertical lift gates 6.6 m high, 6.9 m wide 880 11,400 Electricity Corporation of NZ Ltd Civil Works Ministry of Works, Electrical Works - New Zealand Electricity Department Civil Works Ministry of Works, Electrical Works - New Zealand Electricity Department

Construction by

Waipapa Dam is one of eight dams in the Waikato River Hydro Power Development Scheme which took place over the period 1923 (Arapuni dam) to 1964 (Aratiatia dam). The site lies where the river has eroded almost through the extensive sheets of volcanic rock (ignimbrites) which occur in the central North Island of New Zealand. A remnant of rock, some 10 metres thick remains across the gorge for a short distance at the dam site. The underlying materials are compact semi-permeable sediments of Tertiary age. The ignimbrite is hard, well fused and with a well developed pattern of columnar joints. No , major tectonic features exist near the site. The dam is a rolled fill structure with a wide core of crushed soft ignimbrite. It is extended down to the rock remnant beneath the river bed by a rolled fill cut-off placed in open trench. Elsewhere it is founded on the compact pumiceous alluvials of the river bed and is supported on the downstream side by a wide berm of compacted fill. The total height from crest to bottom of cut-off trench is 37 metres for an operating head of 15 metres. Underseepage is controlled by a grout curtain through the rock remnant and into the rock of both abutments and seepage pressures by drainage. The dam is instrumented with piezometers and hydrostatic settlement cells.

15. Aniwhenua Darn

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Catchment area sq km Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 NZMS 1 N86 235 828 Rotorua Rangitaiki River including Pokairoa and Pahekeheke Streams Hydro Electric Generation 2413 1977 -1980 Rock/soil 10 x 200 Made up of earthfill with rock overlay and approximately 10,000 cubic metres of concrete in the central structure. Controlled Three flap gates mounted on concrete spillways. Two radial gates. 1,270 1,600 2550 Bay of Plenty Electric Power Board Principal Advisors and Civil Works - Tonkin and Taylor Ltd. Mechanical and Electrical - Leyland Watson and Noble Ltd. Downer and Co. Ltd and associated contractors.

Spillway type Spillway gates Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by

Construction by

The 10 metre high reservoir dam is largely earthfill with a rock overlay. The central concrete structure forms the entrance to a 2.2 kilometre long canal that directs flow to a 38 metre high earthfill and rock overlay headpond dam. From there, two steel lined 3.4 metre penstocks deliver water through the main generator turbines and back into the Rangitaiki River. Two radial gates and three flap gates are installed to prevent overtopping in time of flood. Primary protection is to spill excess water under the two individually controlled radial gates. These are operated by an automatic system based on critical reservoir levels acting through a programmable logic controller. Additional protection against flood is accomplished by the use of three flap gates. These are mounted on top of a concrete spillway and drop by gravity if reservoir levels exceed the trip setting for each gate. All gates are hydraulically driven. To ensure operational security, a standby diesel generator is located in the control structure to provide electricity to all pumps and equipment should there be a power failure. The control systems are also backed up by a battery supply. Further flood protection has been included should the reservoir inflow become so great that water cannot be dispersed through the spillways. A section of the canal, just downstream of the dam, is designed to "washout" under extreme flood conditions. Water would then spill down a concrete reinforced "rip-rap" bank, to the original river bed. Another feature of the reservoir dam that assists in water level control is the inclusion of a small turbine set which augments river flow by 2.5 cubic metres per second. The turbine, a "crossflow" type is coupled to a 173 kW induction generator and an hydraulic pump supplementing Radial Gate operations.

16. Maraetai Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway gates Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by NZMS 260 T16 022 611 Rotorua Waikato Hydro Electric 1947 - 1952 Concrete arch, ignimbrite rock 87 x 133 112.4 Inclined shaft, horizontal tunnel Three vertical lift gates 10.7 m high, 4.4 m wide 850 94,200 5000 Electricity Corporation of NZ Ltd Civil Works Ministry of Works, Electrical Works - State Hydro-electric Department Civil Works Ministry of Works, Electrical Works - State Hydro-electric Department

Construction by

Maraetai Dam is one of eight dams making up the Waikato River Hydro Power Development. The site is in a narrow gorge eroded into an extensive sheet of volcanic rock (ignimbrite). The rock is heavily dissected by columnar joints but the site is free of any major tectonic features. The Maraetai I powerhouse spans the gorge immediately downstream of the dam while the Maraetai II powerhouse is situated along the left bank of the gorge some 500 metres downstream of the dam. Abutments were strengthened by consolidation grouting and leakage is controlled by a grout curtain totalling 100,000 sq metres in area. Seepage forces are controlled by a system of drainage drives and drain holes on the downstream side of the grout curtain. The dam is a conventional multi-centre circular arch with a base thickness of 15 metres and a crest thickness of 3 metres. It was designed by the Ministry of Works and Development with assistance from USBR. Hydraulic cylinders for operating the deep set intake gates are mounted in the upstream face of the dam.

17. Whakamaru Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway gates Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by NZMS 260 T17 554 185 Rotorua Waikato Hydro Electric 1949 - 1956 Main dam concrete gravity, auxiliary dam rolled fill. Ignimbrite rock foundations Main dam 56 x 337, auxiliary dam 28.4 x 396 Main dam 219, auxiliary dam 222 Chute 2 vertical lift gates each 8.5 m high, 8.2 m wide 730 80,000 8,033 Electricity Corporation of NZ Ltd Civil Works Ministry of Works, Electrical Works - State Hydro-electric Department Civil Works Ministry of Works, Electrical Works - State Hydro-electric Department

Construction by

Whakamaru Dam is one of eight dams in the Waikato River Hydro Power Development Scheme. The volcanic rocks at the site (ignimbrites) are extensively columnar jointed and have relatively low modulus. Extensive tunnels were driven into the foundations and backfilled with concrete to improve the rock modulus. Consolidation and curtain grouting were carried out to further improve the rock modulus and to control leakage under the dam and abutments. The site is free of major tectonic features but a continuous joint runs parallel to the tailrace and spillway on the left bank. This joint is pinned by drives backfilled with reinforced concrete. The main dam has a vertical upstream face and a downstream batter of 0.837:1 to allow for the low mass density of the concrete (2.18 t/cu.m) and the low modulus of the foundation rock (700 MPa). The auxiliary dam is a zoned rolled fill in the valley of a tributary stream on the left bank. a rolled fill wing dam and cut-off extends the main dam into the right abutment. Piezometers are installed under both dams and in the impermeable zones of the auxiliary dam. Because of the low modulus of the foundation rock the dam is provided with open joints on either side of the diversion/spillway block and at the right abutment. These joints provide compliance should significant differential deflections occur. The powerhouse is similarly isolated from the dam structure.

18. Aratiatia Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway gates Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Owner Engineering by NZMS 260 U17 922 879 Rotorua Waikato Hydro Electric 1959 - 1964 Concrete gravity, rhyolite rock Dam 17.8 m high x 16.5 wide, overflow section 5 m high x 120 long 5.0 Chute with supplementary free overflow 2 radial gates each 9.1 m high x 5.5 m wide 550, overflow dam 250 Electricity Corporation of NZ Ltd Civil Works Ministry of Works, Electrical Works - New Zealand Electricity Department Civil Works Ministry of Works, Electrical Works - New Zealand Electricity Department

Construction by

Aratiatia Dam is the latest of eight dams making up the Waikato River Hydro Power Development. The project develops the potential of a natural cascade formed where bands of hard rhyolite rock have intruded into weak pyroclastic material (volcanic tuffs). The headrace tunnel is driven through very mixed volcanic materials with both flow banded and brecciated structures. Hydrothermal leaching is frequent and sometimes intense. No major tectonic faulting affects the site. The dam is a low concrete structure with spillweir crest along the left bank. The spillway structure occupies the full width of the river bed and the dam continues as a rolled fill embankment and cut-off for 100 metres on the right bank. The spillway structure contains two radial gates 5.5 metres wide and 9.1 metres high which discharge into a short dentated sill stilling basin with its invert 9 metres below spillway crest. From there spill energy is dissipated down the natural rapids in the river bed. The discharge capacity of the gates is 550 cumecs and is supplemented by free flow over the left bank weir crest at flood levels. The Aratiatia Rapids on which the station is built are a scenic attraction and statutory consents require that natural flow down the rapids takes place at pre-determined times of day. The spillway gates are in daily use to meet this requirement and their size and the left bank spillweir were chosen to ensure that this condition would be met under all circumstances.

19. Hinemaiaia HC Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Catchment area sq km Years of construction Type and foundation Height m Spillway type Spillway gates Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 260 U18 770 533 Taupo Hinemaiaia River Hydro Electric 130 1980 - 1981 Buttress -Ignimbrite rock 21 Controlled One radial gate 85 20 Taupo Electricity Hanson, Thorburn & Davidson Ltd Wilkins & Davies Ltd

The HC development is one of three hydro power schemes on the Hinemaiaia River. The HC dam has been built in a very narrow ignimbrite gorge some 27 m deep. The lower section of the dam extends horizontally between the gorge walls while the upper section has been designed as a buttressed wall. An ogee spillway has been incorporated into the dam structure to discharge flood waters and the weight counterbalanced radial gate controlling the impounding waters self adjusts to spill flood waters. The 2 ha of water confined in the lake provide negligible storage and the HC Station is operated in tandem with the upstream HA Station. From the intake gate and screen 457 m of 2.0 m diameter concrete conduit and 84 m of 1.8 m diameter penstock carry the water to a circular section power station constructed to cope with the high river flood rise. A single penstock leads to the powerstation where it is bifurcated to lead to two Francis turbines on a common horizontal shaft driving a 2850 kW induction generator. The turbines can be operated individually or together. A feature of the dam is the radial gate designed to prevent the level of the lake from rising too high. At inflows higher than approximately 11 cumecs (the maximum machine flow) the gate will open sufficient to pass the excess flow, modulating in response to changes in lake level.

20. Rangipo Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway gates Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by NZMS 260 T20 314 481 Rotorua Tongariro Hydro Electric 1975 - 1983 Mass concrete free overflow, coarse andesite river gravels 23 x 150 81 Free overflow, gated sluice 3 Sluice gates each 6.0 m high x 6.33 m wide Spillway 570, sluiceway 990 456 Electricity Corporation of NZ Ltd Civil Works: Ministry of Works and Development, Electrical Works: - New Zealand Electricity Department Ministry of Works and Civil Works: Development, Electrical Works: - New Zealand Electricity Department

Construction by

21. Mangamahoe Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Catchment area sq km Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 260 P19 074 312 New Plymouth Mangamahoe Water Supply - Hydro Electric Generation 8.5 (plus inflow of up to 7 cumecs from adjacent Waiwakaiho catchment) 1930 - 1931 Earth (concrete core). Foundation - hard sandstone 26 x 155 60 Uncontrolled 150 1,000 283 New Plymouth City Council New Plymouth Borough Council Julian & Sons Ltd

Mangamahoe dam is an earthfill dam with a central concrete core built in 1930 and 1931. The dam is built of volcanic ash fill founded on in-situ ash and alluvium derived from ash. Dense, variable cemented, volcanic breecia underlies the ash. The dam is constructed across the Mangamahoe Stream Valley which lies adjacent and parallel to the Waiwakaiho River. A weir, intake structure and tunnel divert up to 8000 1/s from the Waiwakaiho river into the impoundment. The dam was designed in 1929 with a form common to Australia in the 1920s. Recent survey indicated that the dam is about 0.9 metre higher than originally designed. In 1967 an investigation showed evidence of a recent landslip adjacent to the right abutment. Horizontal drains were installed in the right abutment. The investigation concluded "that seepage quantities were not excessive and that the safety factor for the dam was adequate except under substantial earthquake." In 1980 the operating level was raised by fixing 300 mm high "flash boards" on the spillway crest. In 1986 a landslip occurred in natural ground immediately downstream of the toe of the dam. Minor remedial works were carried out and a comprehensive evaluation of the safety of the dam undertaken. The factor of safety was found to be appropriate but investigations indicated that the centre of the dam had settled up to 500 mm. In 1988 the structure was reinstated to its original height and raised a further 200 mm. Collapsible flashboards were installed to the spillway at the same time.

22. Waikaremoana Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Catchment area sq km Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Spillway type Spillway gates NZMS 260 W18 549 080 Gisborne Waikare Taheke Hydro Electric 373 Power development 1926 - 1944 Natural dam formed by landslide Approximately 350 m high Siphon and overflow spillway Siphon - 2 automatic tilting each 1.2 m high, 2.4 m wide, Spillway - 2 vertical lift each 2.1 m high, 2.4 m wide 34 Siphon, 57 Spillway 580,000 54,400 Electricity Corporation of New Zealand Public Works Department Public Works Department

Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by

Lake Waikaremoana, which is 260 metres maximum depth, was formed by a gigantic slip which blocked the channel of the Waikare-Taheke river. The slip acts as a rock fill dam approximately 350 metres high from crest to toe. The material forming the slip is predominantly sandstone and siltstone derived from the original country rock mass. The fall in the river valley below the dam has been utilised for three Power Station developments with total installed generation 124 MW. The total head is 453 metres which is available within the first 11.2 km of river valley. The intake to the upstream development is by tunnels driven through the rock landslip material. The first section is a single concrete lined tunnel, 16 metres operating head of 3 metres diameter and 210 metres long. The tunnel then bifurcates to a steel lined gated section and two tunnels each 2.5 metres diameter, 300 metres long. During the driving of these tunnels a number of zones containing water under pressure were encountered. Before the hydro development most of the catchment run-off was by leakage through the dam of approximately 20 cumecs. During periods of high inflow and consequent lake rise water overflowed over a natural outlet section. An extensive programme of lake sealing using graded materials has reduced leakage to approximately 30% of the former rate. A number of leakage paths through the dam are deep seated. This has limited attempts to locate and seal these leaks. Checking the long term stability of the landslip is difficult because of its magnitude, difficulty in determining representative material properties, mapping discontinuities with the mass, determining flow paths, etc. The regular surveillance includes deformation survey and piezometric and flow measurements. There has been no apparent movement since first measurements were taken. in 1931 an earthquake of intensity MM7 - MM8 was experienced, only superficial damage resulted. The lake and surrounding land is a National Park.

23. Moawhango Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway gates Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by NZMS 260 T20 806 230 Wanganui Moawhango Hydro Electric Storage 1970 - 1975 Arch gravity, greywacke rock 68 x 325 94 Free overflow crest 127 m long Drawn down valve with disperser, 2.1 m diameter 1,100 113,000 590 Electricity Corporation of NZ Ltd Civil Works Gibb and Partners, Electrical Works - New Zealand Electricity Department . Civil Works Ministry of Works, Electrical Works - New Zealand Electricity Department

Construction by

The purpose of Moawhango dam is to impound water for seasonal storage and to allow diversion. Water from Moawhango and adjacent catchments is diverted via a 20 km long, 3.3 metre equivalent diameter tunnel to the Tongariro River. The active storage range is 15 metres. Control of lake level and dewatering (if required) is provided by a control valve located at the downstream end of a steel pipe passing through the dam. The dam was built in 52 blocks each generally 15.2 metres wide with sloping downstream and vertical upstream faces. Pour lift heights were 1.5 metres. The maximum thickness of the dam is 24.4 metres tapering to 1.1 metres at the now spill section crest level. The spillway overflow falls onto a series of apron steps, baffle walls and end walls from which flow is diverted onto a central level apron. Cooling coils were incorporated in pour lifts to limit temperature expansion effects. The cooling water was not chilled.

24. Patea Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Catchment area sq km Years of construction Type and foundation 16 kms inland from Hurleyville NZMS 1 N130 126 332 Patea town Patea Hydro Electric Power Generation 871 February 1982 to December 1983 Compacted earth dam with central chimney drain and downstream filter blanket placed on sandstone foundations 83 x 190 1,200

Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000

Spillway type Reinforced concrete chute with lower end flip bucket plus auxiliary emergency and fuse plug spillways. 2 hydraulically operated radial gates Spillway gates Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by Gated spillway 1080, emergency 2800 144,000 6450 Egmont Electric Power Board Beca, Carter, Hollings & Ferner Limited Downer and Company Limited

The dam impounding Lake Rotorangi, is founded on sandstone and is a compacted earthfill structure made from local tertiary sandstone and siltstone materials. This is the first relatively high dam constructed in New Zealand using these materials. A drainage feature is a central chimney drain constructed of graded aggregates and connected to a horizontal blanket drain of high capacity in the downstream base of the dam. The upper part of the chimney is of double width and designed to collapse back into any crack which may form. Trench drains are constructed on the surface of the side slope to avoid long term saturation of the downstream shoulder. Upstream and downstream surfaces of the dam are covered with a thick layer of crushed shell rock to control erosion. This same material but in the form of large boulders is placed as rip-rap at the water surface level. The safety of the dam is dependant upon precluding over-topping. Flood flows are therefore discharged in three stages. Annual mean river flow is 28 cumecs and the estimated 100 year flood 1030 cumecs. PMF is estimated at 2800 cumecs. The concrete spillway is designed to safely pass the 100 year flood but if the lake rises by more than 1 metre above nominal full level an auxiliary spillway set on a shell rock sill will come into operation. Should the lake level continue to rise a fuse-plug spillway will be triggered.

25. Makara No. 1 Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Catchment area sq km Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Culvert Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 260 V22 411 363 Hastings Makara Stream, Tukituki River Flood Control 13.3 1981 Earth on Soil 12 x 135 38 Uncontrolled 2 m diameter cap. 29 cumecs 132 835 154 Hawkes Bay Catchment Board Hawkes Bay Catchment Board Simmons & Stephens and Edwards Bros (concrete spillway)

Above Completed dam with embankment grassed 1989

Below

Dam in use immediately following construction 1981

The Upper Makara Catchment Control Scheme consists of a series of dams for flood control purposes of which the dam featured is the largest. The protection is required for the Lower Makara Stream. It has been designed on the basis of containing the discharge up to spillway level of a 5 year return period event with the culvert discharging. The dam is constructed with a dry clay silt blanket of 1 metre thickness across the full width of the base with the main part of the dam being siltstone. The upstream face with a horizontal 4 metre width has been constructed with a clay silt mix. The foundations are a yellow brown clayey silt overlying grey clayey silt which was found to be soft in places. Allowance was made for settlement by arching the culvert and raising the centre of the dam. There were construction difficulties with compaction of the siltstone because of hard lumps needing to be broken down and problems with the clay silt mix needing to be dried before compaction on the upstream face. The concrete spillway needed special attention with work starting on a pour before dawn and continuing into early morning to avoid the summer heat. The problems were not helped with the distance from the ready mix plant. The spillway on the dam has not yet been in use although the water level has been close on occasions.

26. Tiritea - High Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Catchment area sq km Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 260 T24 367 827 Palmerston North Tiritea Water Supply 23 1953 - 1956 Arched, rock 39 x 85 9.12 Uncontrolled 140 1682 120 Palmerston North City Corporation Palmerston North City Corporation Palmerston North City Corporation

Tiritea Dam is the primary source of water to Palmerston North City satisfying on average 72% of the total water demand. It was built to overcome water shortages experience in the previous years and is located in a narrow confined valley at the confluence of the main Tiritea and little Tiritea Streams. The geology consists of medium to fine grained greywacke with minor amounts of argillite and some minor pug filled discontinuous fracture planes. The upper left abutment area consists of jointed rock. The dam was designed as a variable radius concrete arch dam with a gravity thrust block on the upper left abutment. It has a total crest length of 85 metres, a top thickness of 1.5 metres, bottom of dam thickness 6.6 metres and foundation thickness 8.2 metres. The maximum height of the dam is 39 metres and it has a crest length of 85 metres. Investigation drilling to examine the foundation and abutments indicated little or no seepage paths below the 9 metre depth except in the upper left abutment. A complete grout curtain extends along the line of the base and abutments with depths up to 9 metres. Consolidation grouting was carried out in the area of the gravity abutment to depths varying up to 15 metres. Some problems were encountered during construction with high stream flows causing damage to the works. In addition unstable rock in the foundations and from above the stilling basin required additional excavation and mass concreting. The dam was constructed in monoliths separated by one metre wide cooling slots. These slots were filled at the time of minimum recorded temperatures. The final design of the spillway and stilling basin was based on hydraulic model studies. The spillway has a central section 4.57 metres high. Crests conform generally to the shape of flow over a sharp crested weir. Spilled water then has a free fall of 30 metres to a stilling basin. The basin was designed with a solid sill of sufficient height to ensure that the hydraulic jump was submerged. It is 24.4 metres long by 15.25 metres wide and has a maximum depth of 5.2 metres. To construct the basin, a total of 1650 cu metres of material was excavated, 1500 cu metres of concrete and 53 tonnes of reinforcing steel was placed. The stilling basin and spillways were sized to carry the maximum probable flood of 140 cumecs. The intake consists of a 375 mm bore vertically orientated manifold. Water is drawn into the manifold by way of three screened and valved bell mouthed intakes at points 4.2 metres, 9.2 metres and 14.2 metres below top water level. The control of draw-off is by means of an electrically actuated butterfly valve which opens and closes in response to water levels in an associated dam downstream.

27. Mangahao (No. 2 Dam)

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway gates Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 260 S25 694 775 Palmerston North Mangahao Hydro Electric 1919 - 1924 Concrete gravity, greywacke rock 31.7 x 123 16.6 Overflow Automatic tilting 2 gates 3 m high x 19.5 m wide 1,270 1,560 192 Electricity Corporation of NZ Ltd Public Works Department Public Works Department

Mangahao No. 2 dam is one of three headworks dams which together provide storage for the Mangahao Power development. Upstream on the same river, is the No. 1 storage dam. It is not equipped with a generating plant. A concrete lined tunnel 1.6 km long, 2.1 metres diameter transfers water from the Mangahao to the neighbouring Tokomaru River catchment. There a third dam provides further storage as well as ponding the run off from the Tokomaru river catchment. A second tunnel 2.4 km long, 2.4 metres diameter leads to a surge chamber and the pressure penstocks. The gross generating head at the power station is 271 metres and the rated output 20 MW. The No. 2 dam is a concrete gravity type in the river gorge section. An overflow spillway occupies virtually its full width. The foundation is of rock on the left abutment and floor. The right abutment is an old river channel which has been infilled with tightly packed gravel. The rock level in this section is approximately the same as in the gorge section. On the right abutment an embankment dam of gravel fill construction with a concrete cut off 3.6 metres thick has been built. To prevent overtopping of the embankment dam during a PMF event, a low concrete wall has recently been built on top of the dam structure. River diversion was by a tunnel 140 metres long, 2.4 metres diameter. This tunnel has a continuing use for scouring lake bed sediments. The catchment is an area of high rainfall and, although bush clad, is subject to flash floods. Because the site is remote, operation of the spillway gates on No. 2 dam is automatic. There is no spillway on No. 3 dam and its flood inflows are discharged into No. 2 dam by reverse flow through the inter connecting tunnel. This tunnel is also used to remove silt from No. 3 dam lake bed.

28. Cobb Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway gates Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 260 M26 397 995 Nelson Cobb Hydro Electric Power Generation 1949 - 1954 Earthfill on talus and moraine foundations 32.7 x 221 330 Inclined chutes discharging into culverts 4 radial gates 6.1 m high x 5.2 m wide 950 28,000 Electricity Corporation of NZ Ltd Civil Works - Ministry of Works Electrical - State Hydro-electric Department Civil Works - Ministry of Works Electrical - State Hydro-electric Department

The dam is of zoned construction comprising: The core is well graded gravel with a silt sand binder derived mainly from glacial moraine. The maximum gravel size is 150 mm, the majority of particles are rounded. The design core section is a wide one. The upstream shoulder of well graded gravel with a lower percentage of fines than for the core material. The source was a fairly stratified outwash fan of alluvial material. The maximum gravel size is 150 mm. The downstream shoulder of well graded gravel of maximum size 300 mm. The source was a talus deposit of poorly graded angular material.

Other dam sections are an internal drain (washed river gravel), downstream shoulder protection (well graded river gravel) and upstream shoulder protection (rip-rap from moranic boulders and quarried quartzite). The dam materials were compacted by double drum sheepsfoot type rollers towed by heavy tractors. The foundation is predominantly magnesite with a band of serpentine on the right bank. Both rock types are moderately fractured and are traversed by clay seams, some as thick as 150 mm. There is an apparent fault zone which appears to cross the left abutment obliquely and which was visible in the core trench after final excavation. Overburden at the site varied in thickness from 3-15 metres. It comprised glacial, fluvio-glacial and talus deposits. The rock foundation was grouted along the core centre line to provide a cut off. The dam centre line is not straight; a deviation in the downstream direction from the approximate centre of the dam to the right abutment utilised an earlier deep investigation excavation. The diversion cut was located on the approximate dam centre line. It now forms one of the spillway culvert sections. Part of the culvert is gated to provide a permanent dewatering facility.

29. Maitai Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Catchment area sq km Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 260 028 409 904 Nelson Maitai (North Branch) Water supply 13.5 1984 - 1986 Earth dam on rock/soil foundation 39 x 140 372 Service spillway - ungated ogee shaped crest Auxiliary spillway - sandfill fuse plug 280 4000 320 Nelson City Council Tonkin and Taylor Limited in association with Worseldine and Wells Wilkins and Davies Construction Company Limited

The Maitai Dam was constructed as part of a project to upgrade the Nelson City water supply. The scheme consists of the dam on the North Branch of the Maitai River just above the junction with the South Branch and an intake on the South Branch 1.5 km above the junction. As the Maitai River flows through Nelson City downstream of the dam, particular attention was paid to safety due to the high hazard rating; this included peer review of design and construction. The concept is to take maximum advantage of run of river flows which are of exceptionally high quality except in freshes or floods. When the river is clear, priority is given to the water from the South Branch with the stored water being used to meet any peaks in demand. During bad weather when the river is discoloured, the reservoir alone is used to supply the City. Water can be drawn from one of three levels in the reservoir depending on water quality or from a separate low level scour intake. Water Rights granted for the Dam set minimum flows in the river of 300 1/s in winter and 175 Ws in summer. It is also a requirement that any water drawn from the South Branch must be replaced with stored water from the reservoir. This water is delivered via a backfeed pipeline to a point immediately below the intake. With this arrangement the City is always able to use the best quality water available without affecting the flow in the South Branch. The dam is a nearly homogeneous earthfill dam built from fine grained material of colluvial origin within which two downstream zones have been varied to allow the inclusion of weathered rock derived from construction excavations. A central chimney drain together with base and downstream abutment drainage is included for seepage control. Rock protection is provided on the upstream face within the range of predominant lake level fluctuation. Performance of the dam is monitored through 27 piezometers installed in the embankment and foundations and by measuring seepage flows from the various filter drains. Ten surface markers have been installed to enable settlement and displacement to be monitored. The reinforced concrete overflow service spillway is designed to cope with a 100 year return period flood of 125 cumecs. An unlined auxiliary spillway with a fuse plug crest is provided for additional safety. The two spillways are capable of carrying the probable maximum flood, estimated at 220 cumecs. The intake takes the form of a three legged trussed tower built of pipe with each leg connected to an intake port. The tower is above a valve chamber located at the head of the rectangular reinforced concrete diversion culvert. Control valves are located in the valve chamber and delivery and scour pipes are carried through the culvert. The maximum design drawoff is 5001/s.

30. Waihopai Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Catchment area sq km Year of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 260 029 575 490 Blenheim Waihopai Hydro Electric Power Generation 469 1926 Arch, Rock 35 x 56 1.81 Uncontrolled 700 zero - see Note (1) zero - see Note (1) Marlborough Electric Power Board Vickerman and Lancaster W Williamson

NOTE (1) In 1928 the total storage capacity including dead storage was 2420 thousand cu metres, by the mid 1940's the reservoir was completely filled with river gravels and since that date the scheme has had no storage. A syphon is used to keep the intake clear of gravel.

Waihopai Dam, completed in 1927, supplies water to two 500 kW vertical machines via a 120 metre concrete lined tunnel, surge chamber and a 90 metre penstock. The operating head is 30 metres. Although originally built as a fully manned station, this scheme has been upgraded to run unattended with a computer based control and supervisory system. Because the reservoir has been completely filled with river gravels, no storage is available and the station runs to the available water. As the dam neared completion, a large flood almost caused a disaster. An early report reads: "The river had been in flood for days and on the evening of March 23, 1927, it rose 20 feet (6 metres) in an hour and a phenomenal flood roared over the dam spillway and over the unprotected flat between the dam and the road. This flat had been assumed to be solid rock like all the surrounding gorge, but was in fact a bar, caused by an earlier landslide between the dam abutments and the gorge side proper. The dam abutments were actually secured to a rock island in the middle of the gorge. Fortunately, the flood abated before it scoured a new gorge alongside the dam and repair work was carried out with frenzied haste. The suspect ground was grouted with liquid concrete, forced in under pressure, the erosion was repaired with rock fill, and the whole area was covered with a protective skin of concrete, which has held firm to this day."

31. Lake Argyle Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Catchment area sq km Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway gates Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 260 N29 269 484 Blenheim Branch Hydro generation, Irrigation, Recreation 770 1982 - 1983 Earth, Soil 15 x 1470 210 Controlled One, Radial See Note 1 1875 250 Marlborough Electric Power Board Royds Garden Ltd J McJorrow Ltd

NOTE (1): The Branch River Power Scheme is a diversion scheme, and water for generation is extracted from the river by a stream bed intake. The maximum diversion flow into Lake Argyle is 29 cumecs, and the maximum flood discharge capacity of the intake weir is 2500 m3/sec.

The Lake Argyle Dam on the Branch River impounds water for the Branch power scheme. This scheme draws water from Lake Argyle and has two stations in series with 20 and 40 metres head respectively. The installed flow is 20 cumecs and the combined output is 11 MW. Lake Arglye, formed by the dam has, with no inflow, sufficient water for 8 hours generation at full load. The stations are automatic and run unattended. A computer based supervisory system controls the generation scheduling and monitors the plant performance. The Lake Argyle Dam is also included in this monitoring system and key piezometers and seepage are monitored on a 24 hour basis. The dam is founded on an alluvial terrace, 400 metres upstream of the active Wairau fault. An accelerometer has been installed at the base of the dam which has been set to give an alarm for accelerations exceeding 0.1 g.

32. Pukaki (High) Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Years of construction Over Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway gates Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 260 H38 840 596 Timaru Pukaki Hydro Electric Storage 1971 - 1976 Rolled earthfill on moraine foundation 61 x 82 4600 Overflow chute, bottom outlet culvert 4 x 13.0 high, 1.07 wide, culvert 9.0 high, 6.0 wide 3398 spillway, 570 culvert 6,300,000 176,800 Electricity Corporation of NZ Ltd Ministry of Works Ministry of Works

The first Pukaki dam was commissioned in 1952 to provide storage for the Waitaki River hydro development. At that time Waitaki Station was in service and Benmore and other stations were projected. With development in the Upper Waitaki it became apparent that increased storage capacity should be provided in the 1970s in order to achieve a higher utilisation of the available river discharges. The new (high) dam is some 150 metres downstream of the original structure. The dam raised the level of Lake Pukaki by a further 37 metres, inundating the low structure and doubling the lake's storage capacity. The core of the new dam is connected to the core of the low dam to provide a long seepage path. Pukaki high dam is founded entirely on gravels, sands and silts of glacial origin, the site being slightly upstream of the Tekapo terminal moraine loop at the southern end of Lake Pukaki. The deposits can be divided into distinct geological units comprising two upper units of sand and silt and below them a predominantly gravel unit. The main dam has upstream and downstream shoulders of outwash gravels, and a central core and upstream blanket of compacted silty gravels won from the terminal moraine. Transition zones of processed material envelop the core and a downstream chimney drain intercepts all seepage flows through the structure. Protection against underseepage is provided by an extensive upstream blanket and downstream relief wells. Dam instrumentation comprises piezometers, groundwater observation wells, v-notch weirs, culvert settlement markers and surface deformation markers. Four strong motion accelerators are installed. The spillway is cut into the left abutment of the dam and a canal inlet structure is situated within a separate saddle dam, some 300 metres west of the main dam. The diversion culvert is an elliptical reinforced concrete structure, 10 metres high by 6 metres wide, which extends for 360 metres adjacent to the right abutment of the dam.

33. Ruataniwha Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway gates Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 260 H38 235 353 Timaru Ohau Hydro electric 1978 - 1981 Earthfill, Rock Main dam 43 x 240 long, wing dam 8 high x 480 long 800 Free overflow, gated sluice Three radial 6.0 high, 9.0 wide 1,740 50,000 3,430 Electricity Corporation of NZ Ltd Ministry of Works and Development Ministry of Works and Development

The dam is located at a point where the Ohau River has cut a gorge completely through a ridge of well indurated sandstones and mudstones (greywacke). The main dam is situated within the body of the gorge. Rock defects at the dam site include a fault, coincident with the river channel, and a number of minor shear and crush zones. Beyond the left abutment of the main dam the ridge of greywacke dips beneath a cover of out-wash gravels. The wing dam is located adjacent to the main dam and is founded on the out-wash gravels. The spillway structure is founded on the prominent rock ridge in the right abutment area. Rock defects in the foundation include a shear zone, dipping beneath the spillway, a fault and a number of minor shear zones. The dam has upstream and downstream shoulders of outwash gravels and a central core of compacted fan alluvium. Transition zones of processed material envelop the core and a downstream chimney drain intercepts all seepage flows through the structure. Protection against underseepage is provided by blanket grouting, directly beneath the core/foundation contact area, curtain grouting and downstream drainage. The dam and foundations are extensively instrumented with piezometers. The 480 metre long wing dam controls seepage through the outwash gravels adjacent to the main dam and the rock ridge. The wing dam incorporates a wide fill of outwash gravels and an extensive upstream blanket of compacted fan alluvium. Lake Ruataniwha is the site of an international standard rowing course.

34. Benmore Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Catchment area sq km Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway gates Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by NZMS 260 H39 280 164 Timaru Waitaki Hydro Electric 7,800 1958 -1965 Rolled fill dam on rock foundation 118 x 957 12,500 Gated overflow and sluice to chute spillway 4 radial gates 11.9 high x 10.6 wide, 2 sluice gates 7.8 high x 6.1 wide 3,400 2,100,000 79,000 Electricity Corporation of NZ Ltd Civil Works Ministry of Works, Electrical Works - New Zealand Electricity Department Civil Works Ministry of Works, Electrical Works - New Zealand Electricity Department

Construction by

Benmore dam spans a valley between two natural prominences. On one the spillway is sited, and on the other, the intake block and penstocks. The dam is the largest earthfill water retaining structure built in New Zealand. The site is at the downstream end of a gorge in the middle reaches of the Waitaki River. The foundation rock is strongly folded greywacke, sequences of sandstones and siltstones with argillites. Local areas of jointing impregnated with zeolites exist. Overall the rock is free of stability problems but local slides require stabilising behind the powerhouse and at the end of the spillway channel. The general attitude of the bedding planes is near vertical with the strike variable but somewhat parallel to the river. Although there is no evidence of recent faulting, the rock has been subject to tectonic deformation producing localised folding, crush zones and minor faulting. Foundation preparation comprised the removal of up to 10 metres of overlying gravels (which included lenses of silty gravel) over the core contact zone. A grout curtain to form a cut-off was constructed. The dam was built in four basic zones with additional zoning within these to total 10 discrete zones. Core material is a silty weathered gravel, a residual product of argillite, greywacke and sandstone. Because its permeability is higher due to the small clay fraction, a contact width of 2/3 of the hydraulic head was adopted for design. Shoulder and drainage materials are selected river gravels from borrow areas close to the site. Excavated rock was found to be generally unsuitable because of break down. Compaction was by vibrating roller. The dam is curved in plan to accommodate the intake and spillway structures at each abutment. It is fully instrumented including strong motion seismometers for recording accelerations under seismic loading. Penstocks are prestressed concrete on the slope and conventional reinforced concrete steel lined on the horizontal intake bench. The unconventional design was used for economic reasons in the face of escalating prices for steel penstocks. In addition to supplying the South Island grid in alternating current mode the station also supplies the North Island via an AC-DC converter station at 500 kV transmitted by both overhead circuits and undersea cables.

35. Hawea Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway gates Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 260 G40 452 675 Dunedin Clutha Hydro Electric Storage 1954 -1958 Earthfill on glacial moraine foundations 32.0 high, 430 long Main Dam 26.0 high, 190 long Secondary Dam 428 Low level gated sluice 4 radial gates 3.2 m wide x 3.5 m high 360 2,180,000 116,500 Electricity Corporation of NZ Ltd Ministry of Works and Development Ministry of Works and Development

Lake Hawea is a natural lake occupying a post glacial depression bounded at the outlet by outwash gravels and a superimposed terminal moraine. The outlet is located on schist bedrock at the toe of a mass movement of weathered schist on the right abutment. The left abutment is downcut in permeable outwash gravels. The main earth dam closes the natural channel and contains the control culvert. A secondary dam closes a channel on the right abutment following its use as a diversion. The core of the dam is constructed from selected moraine fill with increased compactive effort used in the vicinity of the culvert to control settlement induced cracking of the core. A graded granular filter isolates the core from the downstream shoulder. The shoulders are formed of outwash gravels. A stabilising fill was placed at the toe of the mass movement on the right abutment. The dam is instrumented.

36. Aviemore Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Catchment area sq km Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Spillway type Spillway gates Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 260 140 867 494 Timaru Waitaki Hydro Electric 9,600 1962 - 1968 Concrete gravity on rock foundations, rolled earthfill on rock and alluvial foundations Concrete 56 x 300, earthfill 56 x 450 Chute discharging into stilling basin 5 radial gates 15.9 m wide, 9.7 m high 4,250 425,000 29,000 Electricity Corporation of NZ Ltd Civil Ministry of Works, Electrical - New Zealand Electricity Department Ministry of Works, Civil Electrical New Zealand Electricity Department

A geological feature, a fault line which crosses the site at an angle to the dam axis, dictated the layout of the structures. On the upthrust (left bank) side of the fault, greywacke, which is partially shattered and has argillite inclusions, lies close to the surface and was covered by a comparatively thin layer of river gravels. This rock was a suitable foundation for the construction of the concrete dam section (which incorporates the intakes, powerhouse, spillway and sluices). On the downthrust (right bank) side of the fault, there is some 200 metres depth of tertiary clays, silts and steeply dipping coal seams overlaid by river gravels. The earth dam was built on this foundation. The earth dam is founded on rock for a short length from the earth/concrete dam interface. The concrete dam was designed as a conventional gravity type structure and was built in 18 metres wide bays with keyed waterstopped joints. Diversion was by a left bank tunnel 520 metres long. Dam concrete mix design incorporated a low heat modified cement at the rate of 105 kgm/cubic metre. There was no artificial cooling. Drainage and grout curtains were drilled from galleries within the dam. Instrumentation comprised foundation piezometers, drain flow weirs, levelling pins and optical plummets. Regular deformation surveys are carried out. The earth dam was constructed in 7 zones comprising a wide core of impervious silty clay, a downstream sand gravel transition and upstream and downstream gravel/rock shoulders. There is a large section gravel drainage zone running the full length of the dam. There are two further zones of rock for upstream shoulder protection. On the centre-right bank length of the dam the core is founded on a low permeability clay/silt. Dam instrumentation includes piezometers in the core and foundation zones, settlement cells and deformation pillars.

37. Waitaki Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway gates Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 260 140 208 809 Timaru Waitaki Hydro Electric 1928 -1934 Concrete gravity, Rock 47.8 x 542 271 Free overflow, 2 sluices Sluice gates 3.6 high x 3.0 wide 5,800 53,200 7,060 Electricity Corporation of NZ Ltd Public Works Department Public Works Department

Waitaki dam is located downstream of Aviemore on the Waitaki River. The wide valley permitted the dam to be constructed in two stages. The first stage construction comprised the cofferdamming of the left bank side of the channel and the construction of eleven sluice sections. After diversion the second stage comprising the remaining dam sections was undertaken. The sluices were later closed by gates and the water way passages plugged with concrete. There are two permanent sluices located on the right bank abutting the powerhouse. On the right bank the powerhouse structure is integral with the dam; the power intakes and conduits are within the dam body. Subsequent construction of upstream storage dams improved utilisation of the river flows enabling the power station capacity to be increased. Two further machines installed in the extended powerhouse went into service in 1954. Foundation rock is partially argillite which extends over approximately two-thirds of the foundation area right bank and greywacke which occurs over the remaining area. During construction no evidence was found of past faulting at the site. The argillite is extensively crushed. The design philosophy was to use a long ungated spillway in order to avoid the problems of large gates and high intensity energy dissipation. The dam crest is fitted with aeration dissipators. When the dam was designed, no provision was made for uplift forces. During construction this deficiency was partially offset by the construction of an upstream cut off and external drainage gallery. There is no drainage relief between the upstream gallery and the tailrace. After being in service for some 20 years a decision was made to re-assess the dam and foundation stability firstly by investigation drilling and core testing. This revealed an unsatisfactory situation which was overcome by the installation of stressed cables from the dam crest through holes drilled to provide anchorage in the foundation. A number of piezometers were also installed in the foundation.

38. Clyde Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway gates Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by NZMS 260 G42 236 948 Dunedin Clutha Hydro Electric 1980 - 1989 Concrete gravity on schist rock 102 x 490 1,000 Chute and sluice with stilling basin Radial - spillway 4 gates 14.3 high, 10.0 wide Sluice 1 gate 9.0 high, 6.0 wide Spillway 4,100, sluice 1,400 350,000 25,000 Electricity Corporation of NZ Ltd Civil - Ministry of Works and Development Electrical - Electricity Division of Ministry of Energy Civil - Zublin-Williamson Joint Venture Ministry of Works and Development Electrical - Electricity Division of Ministry of Energy

Construction by

A major feature of the site is a fault in the river channel with gouge or crush zones up to 8 metres wide in places. Several other faults of more than 1 metre also cross the damsite. The schist foundation rock at the damsite contains frequent foliation shears. Two persistent shears extending from the right abutment towards the centre of the dam were treated by excavating a series of adits and backfilling them with concrete to act as shear keys. The foundation in other areas has been deepened to found the dam below shear surfaces. The concrete dam contains 1 million cu metres of concrete in 28 blocks varying in width from 12.5 metres to 21 metres. Intakes have been included in the diversion dam blocks to allow for future installation of two additional generating units within the existing river diversion channel when required. A 1.8 metre diameter irrigation offtake is located on the right abutment. A single row grout curtain was drilled from an upstream gallery in the dam, with drain holes drilled downstream of the grout curtain. A slip joint has been provided in the dam to allow up to 2 metre movement on the plane of the river channel fault passing through the dam foundation. To keep the joint watertight under normal operation and to limit flow in the event of fault displacement, a 100 metre high concrete wedge plug lined with stainless steel plate is located at the upstream face of the dam.

39. Roxburgh Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway gates Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by Construction by NZMS 260 G43 249 610 Dunedin Clutha Hydro Electric 1949 - 1956 Concrete gravity, Rock 76 x 366 497 Gated overflow chute 3 vertical lift 12.8 high x 15.3 wide 4,250 100,000 6,000 Electricity Corporation of NZ Ltd Civil Works - Ministry of Works Electrical - State Hydro-electric Department Civil Works - Ministry of Works Electrical - State Hydro-electric Department

The site is at the downstream end of a gorge. The foundation rock is chlorite schist with well marked schistosity and lineation. Although there was no major faulting at the site there are a number of near vertical crush zones, and some sub horizontal crush bands along the schistosity planes at the abutments which required treatment. Early investigations revealed the presence of a deep gravel filled gullet in the river channel. Although a crush seam was believed to exist at the bottom, it was found on excavation that only a few minor seams existed on the sides. The maximum depth of the gullet was 17 metres. It was backfilled in one pour with a modified low heat concrete mix containing fly-ash. Under the powerhouse section secondary concrete was used for backfilling. Upstream from the right abutment the toe of a mass movement of weathered schist was encountered during excavation of the diversion channel. Later this slip moved to an equilibrium position during the lake filling despite the removal of some 50,000 cubic metres of slip material. Slip movement continues to be monitored. The dam is of conventional design with the spillway block integral with the dam. The dam was built in 15.2 metre wide blocks with water stopped joints. The mass concrete was cooled by circulating river water through light gauge steel cooling coils grouted up after use. The water was chilled when necessary. The spillway block is integral with the dam. Foundation pressures are reduced through the construction of a grout curtain and drainage relief holes. The dam is fully instrumented.

40. Mahinerangi Dam

Location or Map Refs Nearest City River Purpose Catchment area sq km Years of construction Type and foundation Height and crest length m Volume of dam cu metres x 1000 Spillway type Spillway gates Spillway max. discharge capacity cumecs Reservoir capacity cu metres x 1000 Reservoir area sq metres x 1000 Owner Engineering by NZMS 1 5163 706 699 Dunedin Waipori Hydro-electric storage 1,100 Stage I 1929 - 1931 to 20 m height Stage II 1945 - 1946 to full height Concrete arch with mass concrete gravity abutment sections. Quartz- schist foundation 39 x 162 Gravity Sections 16.8 Arch Section 10.8 Controlled Single winch operated tilting flap gate 180 220 20,000 Dunedin Electricity Stage I Stage II Stage I Stage II City Engineer's Department Dunedin City Council Vickerman and Lancaster Contract workers supervised by City Engineer's Department Wilkins and Davies

Construction by

The site of the Mahinerangi Reservoir is a down-warped basin in an ancient plateau through the rising edge of which the Waipori River escapes into a narrow gorge. The dam itself is founded on Otago schist formation but locally the rock differs from the prevailing quartz-mica schist in the amount of hornblende, epidote and chlorite, green silicate material. Felspar, mica, graphite and some pyrites are also found in the rock. The dam comprises a constant radius arch section approximately 40 metres maximum height, having a radius of 48.8 metres and a central angle of 72, and is flanked by two gravity sections. In each gravity section a drainage system is provided to discharge into a small longitudinal gallery approximately 1.50 metres high and 0.75 metres wide. Drains formed by thin galvanised iron tubes with loose joints at about 1.50 metres centres extend upwards and downwards from the galleries at approximately 2.10 metres intervals. The tubes extending downwards connect with a porous concrete drain which runs longitudinally along the base of the dam, into the lower end of each gallery. The radial joints in the arch and the transverse joints in the gravity abutments were painted with bitumen and were provided with copper water stops and 0.3 metres x 1.2 metres square faced shear keys. There is a concrete cut-off wall of various depths under the full length of the dam. Grout holes spaced at 1.5 metres and staggered in two rows approximately 1 metre apart and 6 metres deep were drilled beneath the cut-off wall and grouted. The arch was designed as a thick cylinder without allowance for cantilever action, elastic deformations, joint opening and temperature effects. The gravity sections were designed on the assumption that the drainage system would prevent development of any hydraulic uplift or seepage forces. The effect of earthquake was not considered in the design. The left hand gravity section was designed with a 13.7 metre wide spillway, and with an automatic counter weighted tilting flap gate. The counter weight operating system was subsequently decommissioned and replaced by a manually operated single electric winch control. In 1985 the original power station erected at the foot of the dam was demolished and supply conduit through the dam to the station plugged. In 1960 structural stability calculations indicated additional vertical loading was required in the gravity abutments to provide stability for the dam under seismic loading conditions. This was achieved by providing a total of 20 x 290 tonne cables, spaced to meet the requirement of approximately 6,000 tonnes of prestress required. Cable holes of 100 mm diameter were drilled straight and vertical through the dam roadway and carried into bedrock for a sufficient distance to pick up the required rock mass and anchorage length. In association with the anchor stressing new 75 mm diameter pressure relief holes were drilled to intersect the existing internal galleries.

Glossary of Terms
Andesite : Argillite : Basalt : Colluvial : Cretaceo-tertiary : Greywacke : Ignumbrite : Jurassic age : Lahar : Magnesite : Miocene : Moraine : Piezometer : Pyroclastic : Rhyolite : Schist : Serpentine : Talus : Tertiary age : a volcanic rock a sedimentary rock a volcanic rock material accumulating on a slope from weathering and erosion processes a geological period 60-70 million years ago a sedimentary rock a volcanic rock geological period 145 to 210 million years ago landslide or mudflow originating from a volcano a carbonate mineral a geological period 6 to 22 million years ago deposits of rock and soil materials transported and deposited by glacier on meltwater streams an instrument for measuring water pressure materials that have been ejected from a volcanic vent a volcanic rock a metamorphic rock a mineral a collection of fallen rock material which forms at the foot of a steep slope a geological period 2 to 65 million years ago