Lake Otamangakau is a small artificial
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
located within
Tongariro National Park
Tongariro National Park (; ) is the oldest national park in New Zealand,Department of Conservation"Tongariro National Park: Features", retrieved 21 April 2013 located in the central North Island. It has been acknowledged by UNESCO as a World H ...
in the
Ruapehu District
Ruapehu District is a territorial authority in the centre of New Zealand's North Island.
It has an area of 6,734 square kilometers and the district's population in was .
Features
The district is landlocked, and contains the western half of t ...
.
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]
Geography
Lake Otamangakau is located approximately southwest of
Lake Taupo
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...
. The man-made reservoir has a size of around
[
] and extends over its northern arm in a 45-degree left curve over a length of around and over its eastern arm to the southern tip over a length of around . Its widest point is in the middle part of the lake and extends over a length of around 900 m in a north-west-south-east direction.
[
Koordinaten und Längenbestimmungen wurden mittels Google Earth Pro Version 7.3.3.7786 am 3. Juni 2021 vorgenommen
] The deepest part of the lake is 12 m.
[
]
The reservoir is connected to two other reservoirs via two canals, one via the southwestern Otamangakau Canal, which connects Lake Te Whaiau, which in turn carries its waters to Lake Otamangakau, and the other via the Wairehu, which emanates from the eastern arm of the lake Canal with
Lake Rotoaira, which is located southeast of Lake Otamangakau. The waters of Lake Otamangakau flow over the Wairehu Canal to Lake Rotoaira, which is 564 m, 47 m lower than Lake Otamangakau.
It is surrounded by extensive wetlands to the east and south.
Lake Otamangakau, which is located at an altitude of 611 m, is fed by a few smaller streams from the surrounding area and the lake experiences its regular outflow via a small stream that flows into the
Whanganui River
The Whanganui River is a major river in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the country's third-longest river, and has special status owing to its importance to the region's Māori people. In March 2017 it became the world's second natur ...
around further.
Otamangakau Dam
Otamangakau Dam is located on its southwest side and is designed as a gravity dam. It has a length of around 300 m with a crown width of around 12 m, as Forestry Road runs over the dam. Directly towards the lake, the barrier measures around 114 m at sea level and around 60 m on the western side facing away from the lake.The water outlet in the direction of the Whanganui River is on the northern side of the structure.
The target for the lake is given as 611.98 m.
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]
References
Otamangakau
Otamangakau
Ruapehu District
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