Whakamatau / Lake Coleridge

The glacially carved Whakamatau (Lake Coleridge) is located north of the Rakaia River in the Canterbury high country. Whakamatau was an important place to rest and replenish supplies (mahinga kai) for Ngai Tahu who gathered kakapo, weka, and tuna here, on route to the West Coast (https://www.kahurumanu.co.nz/atlas).Lake Coleridge was the first government-built Hydro Electric Power […]

Hokakura / Lake Sumner

Hokakura (Lake Sumner) is a large, deep lake adjacent to the Lake Sumner Forest Park. Its catchment is mostly forested. Lake Sumner is located on the mainstem of the Hurunui River and due to its large size and connection with the river lake levels can vary by up to 3.5 m during flood events. The […]

Lake Marion

Lake Marion is located in a native forest catchment north of Lake Sumner, in the Hurunui – Waiau Water Management Zone.  Despite Lake Marion being a relatively undisturbed natural lake, it often has somewhat high concentrations of nutrients. This may be linked to organic inputs from surrounding forest, as well as water remaining in the […]

Lake Sheppard

Lake Sheppard lies is adjacent to Lake Taylor in the Lake Sumner Conservation area. Lake Sheppard’s catchment is more intensively used for pastoral farming than other lakes in the area. Main image by David G. Schmale III, Virginia Tech, https://www.schmalelab.spes.vt.edu/

Lake Mason

Lake Mason is situated southwest of Loch Katrine in the Lake Sumner Conservation park. The lake is split in two independent lakes; a deep lake (39 m Lake Mason) and a much shallower second lake (2 m Little Lake Mason). They drain into each other. Lake Mason’s catchment is dominated by mountain beech forest and […]

Waitetemoroiti / Loch Katrine

Waitetemoroiti (Loch Katrine) is a small, glacially formed, high country lake located in Lake Sumner Conservation Park, in the upper Hurunui River catchment (www.lawa.org.nz). The lake drains to Lake Sumner through a wetland and narrow channel. It can separate into two basins at low lake levels. Loch Katrine acts as a boat harbour for both […]

Lake Taylor

Lake Taylor is a high country lake located in the upper Hurunui River catchment (www.lawa.org.nz). It is a medium sized, deep lake near to Lake Sumner. Its catchment is a mix of high and low productivity exotic grassland, native forest and tussock. The lake drains into the Hurunui River downstream of the outlet from Lake […]

Horseshoe Lake (Canterbury)

Horseshoe Lake in the Lewis Pass sits just to the south of the Hope River, close to where it joins the Waiau River. It sits south west of Hamner Springs along State Highway 7.

Lake Pearson / Ōpōrea

Ōpōrea is the traditional Māori name for Lake Pearson.  It is also known as Moanarua.  It is a moderate sized highland lake, situated in the upper Waimakariri River catchment. Traditionally this lake was valued among local Māori as a mahinga kai (food bowl) site (source www.kahurumanu.co.nz/atlas). The lake is considered to have low-moderate nutrient enrichment […]

Lake Selfe

Lake Selfe is a small highland lake in the upper Rakaia River catchment, covering an area of 65.4 hectares, with a maximum depth of 29.2 m. The lake has low concentrations of nutrients and and algal biomass (source lawa.co.nz).

Lake Sarah

Lake Sarah is a small highland lake in the upper Waimakariri River catchment, covering an area of 22 hectares, with a maximum depth of 7 m. Sarah has low-moderate nutrient concentrations with generally clear water (source lawa.co.nz).

Lake Marymere

Lake Marymere is a highland lake, situated in the upper Waimakariri River catchment, lying south-east of Lake Pearson. Marymere covers an area of 24 hectares, with a maximum depth of 9.2 m.

Lake Lyndon / Te Hāpua Waikawa

Te Hāpua Waikawa (Lake Lyndon) is a highland lake, adjacent to Porters Pass, north of Lake Coleridge. The lake is moderate in size, has a maximum depth of 18 m and has low nutrient and algal biomass levels (source lawa.co.nz).

Lake Ida

Lake Ida is a small high country lake situated in the upper Rakaia River catchment, covering an area of 10 hectares, with a maximum depth of 11.4 m. The lake generally has low nutrient concentrations, however recent increases in phosphorus have added to the algal biomass (source lawa.co.nz).

Lake Heron / Ōtūroto

Ōtūroto (Lake Heron) is a large, glacial formed, highland lake in the upper Rakaia River catchment, covering 695 hectares in size and measuring 37 m deep at its deepest point. The lake has low concentrations of nutrients and algae and lists as mesotrophic on the Trophic Level Index measurement scale (source lawa.co.nz).