[Geysers] Geyser report from New Zealand

[Katherine]

In answer to Paul Strasser's comments re Orakeikorako and the Ohakuri dam:

Unfortunately, any idea of removing the Ohakuri dam cannot be entertained
for at least another 20 years or so.  The dam owner, Mighty River Power
(MRP), was granted consent a few years ago by Waikato Regional Council to
continue operating the Waikato River hydro-electricity system.  I don't
remember how long the consent duration is, but it will be somewhere between
20 and 35 years.  At the consent hearing I presented evidence on behalf of
the council, on the effects of the hydro system on the geothermal features
at Orakeikorako and almost all the other geothermal systems in the Waikato
Region.  However, the council did not seek lowering of the lake level, just
the status quo.  MRP presented evidence that I strongly disagreed with, that
lowering the lake level to natural levels would not lead to a return to the
natural behaviour and appearance of the submerged springs.  They had done a
big-dollar deal with the Maori land owners and the proprietors of the
tourist area, which led to withdrawal of their (owners and proprietors)
submissions against the proposed new operating regime, which actually
involves increasing the lake level at times, and increasing the rate of
change in lake level on a diurnal basis.

Currently under the Waikato Regional Plan, having an existing dam in place
is a permitted activity, meaning that there can be no requirement to remove
the dam.  Regional Plans have to be reviewed every ten years, so once the
current plan becomes fully operative, hopefully 2006, the review process
will start all over again soon after, as it takes years to complete.

It will be interesting to see what attitudinal changes influence the new
process once it starts.  International interest in the planning and
consenting processes would also be well-received and could influence the
decision-forming.

Further background information on the Regional Plan, and possibly even the
MRP consents, can be obtained from the Regional Council website.

regards
Katherine Luketina

> -----Original Message-----
> From: geysers-bounces at wwc.edu [mailto:geysers-bounces at wwc.edu]On Behalf
> Of Paul Strasser
> Sent: Wednesday, 21 December 2005 17:21
> To: 'geyser observation reports'
> Subject: Re: [Geysers] Geyser report from New Zealand
>
>
> I hope that in the spirit of Ron Keam's comments (the part that follows)
> he's all in favor of removing the dam at Orakeikorako.  I'd love to see
> Minguini Geyser erupt.
>
> Paul Strasser
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: geysers-bounces at wwc.edu [mailto:geysers-bounces at wwc.edu] On
> Behalf Of
> Ron Keam
> Sent: Monday, December 19, 2005 7:09 PM
> To: geyser observation reports
> Subject: Re: [Geysers] Geyser report from New Zealand
> ......
> Recently, Environment Waikato, the regional body responsible for the
> Waikato Region, has been considering the protection of natural
> geothermal features of significance within that region.  This
> includes the Waiotapu area.  We (and I say 'we' because I have
> personallty been involved with this) realised that certain features
> of historical interest should be protected, and, even though some of
> these have been modified, something like Lady Knox geyser qualifies
> as being worthy of protection in its now historically modified form.
> Lady Knox geyser is a standard feature of the tourist visit to
> Waiotapu, and the eruption is quite spectacular and entertains as
> many as three hundred visitors at a time when it is soaped at (I
> think) 1015 each morning.
> So, please do not regard Lady Knox geyser as a 'fake'.  It is worth
> the trouble of visiting, and some of the guides' commentaries, given
> to the assembled group when soaping is about to take place, are
> entertaining, factual, and informative.
>
> Ron Keam
> .....
>
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