Lake Rotoaira (sometimes written ''Lake Roto-aira'') is a small

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 ...

to the south of

Lake Taupō Lake Taupō (also spelled Taupo; mi, Taupō-nui-a-Tia or ) is a large crater lake in New Zealand's North Island, located in the caldera of the Taupō Volcano. The lake is the namesake of the town of Taupō, which sits on a bay in the lake's no ...

on the

North Island Volcanic Plateau The North Island Volcanic Plateau (often called the Central Plateau and occasionally the Waimarino Plateau) is a volcanic plateau covering much of central North Island of New Zealand with volcanoes, lava plateaus, and crater lakes. It contains ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. It covers an area of 13 km². Lake Rotoaira is one of the few privately owned lakes in

being administered by the Lake Rotoaira Trust on behalf of its owners. An access permit must be held by those using the lake for fishing and similar activities. The lake is located in a graben between the broad volcanic dome of

Mount Tongariro Mount Tongariro (; ) is a compound volcano in the Taupō Volcanic Zone of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located to the southwest of Lake Taupō, and is the northernmost of the three active volcanoes that dominate the landscape of th ...

to the south and the smaller volcanic peak of

Pihanga Pihanga is a andesitic volcanic peak in the North Island Volcanic Plateau, located to the north of Mount Tongariro, between Tongariro and Lake Taupo. Lake Rotoaira lies to the south-west of Pihanga, and the smaller Lake Rotopounamu is situated ...

to the northwest. It is naturally drained by the Poutu Stream into the Tongariro River. However the

Tongariro Power Scheme The Tongariro Power Scheme is a 360 MW hydroelectricity scheme in the central North Island of New Zealand. The scheme is currently operated by electricity generation company Genesis Energy. The scheme takes water from tributaries of the Rangit ...

utilised Rotoaira as a storage lake for the

Tokaanu Tokaanu is a small settlement close to Tūrangi at the southern end of Lake Taupō. The Tokaanu Thermal Pools and the easy access to Lake Taupo make it a popular lakeside holiday destination. A short walking track through the Tokaanu thermal ar ...

Hydropower Hydropower (from el, ὕδωρ, "water"), also known as water power, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting the gravitational potential or kinetic energy of a w ...

Station. Extensive engineering works were carried out including the diversion of a number of other streams (including

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 ...

) into Rotoaira via the Otamangakau Hydro Lake and construction of a tunnel through

to the

Tokaanu Power Station The Tongariro Power Scheme is a 360 MW hydroelectricity scheme in the central North Island of New Zealand. The scheme is currently operated by electricity generation company Genesis Energy. The scheme takes water from tributaries of the Rangit ...

. Damming of the Poutu outlet has created Motuopuhi island, formerly a peninsula.

References

*Lecointre, Neall, Wallace and Elliot (2004)
Late Quaternary evolution of the Rotoaira Basin, northern Tongariro ring plain, New Zealand
''New Zealand Journal of Geology & Geophysics'', Vol. 47, 549–565. {{Authority control Tongariro Volcanic Centre Rotoaira Taupō District