| Weekly Review No 297 (1947) Hydro-Electricity, Karapiro: Construction of the Karapiro Power Station on the Waikato River is coming to an end after 7 years. Final preparations are underway for the flooding of the dam which will create Lake Karapiro. On top of the dam, adjustments are made to the pen-stock gates - when the gates open they will allow water to flow down to the power station below and through the generators. The closing of the Diversion Tunnel is the first act in the great drama of the flooding of Karapiro. The main casualty will be Horohoro, the oldest hydro station in the North Island. After nearly 40 years service, the switches at Horohoro are closed and the station is closed down. Down river, the old wooden bridge has been floated off on buoys and attempts will be made to salvage it. The lake will cover the main road so a new road has been built on a higher level. Equipment at Horohoro station is pulled out and taken away and houses surrounding the station are pulled down too - but time is short because the level of the new lake is rising quickly. At Hamilton, the closure of the Diversion Tunnel has left the level of the Waikato River very low, creating a potential problem for the city's water supply. On the evening of April 8th, hundreds of people gather by the Karapiro Dam to witness the first plunge of water over the spillway - by next morning, water is pouring down. Back at Horohoro, only the roofs are showing - and the roof of the power house is taken away for salvage. The number one generator at Karapiro is undergoing tests. From the central control room, new power is already being sent into the North Island system. In 6 months, it's hoped to have the whole station generating at maximum capacity. Karapiro is just the beginning of a grand scheme to harness the whole of the Waikato River. Duration 07.39 |
