Lake Wanaka

Lake Wanaka is located in the Queensland-Lakes Region of Otago, its name is Māori, a corruption of Oanaka ('The place of Anaka', a local tribal chief).

Lake Wanaka covers an area of 192 km² which makes it the fourth larges New Zealand lake. It is 277 m above sea level, is up to 311 m deep and has a catchment area of 2590km², inflows to the lake are the Makarora River at the north end and the Matukituki River on the south-west side. The outflow (where the lake is monitored) is to the south-east by way of the Clutha River.

The monitoring between 2006 and 2009 shows that Lake Wanaka appears to be in a stable state, with little change in water quality occurring over the last three years. Lake Wanaka is classified as being in an oligotrophic state. A water body’s trophic state is largely determined by nutrient inputs from the surrounding catchment. The major inputs into Lake Wanaka are the Makarora and Matukituki Rivers, both of which have glacial origins and high water quality.

The immediate catchment is likely to contribute some nutrient input into the lake i.e. stormwater from the township of Wanaka and runoff from fertilised agricultural areas. In addition to ongoing sheep farming, the lake is now a popular resort, and is much used in the summer for fishing, boating and swimming. The nearby mountains and fast-flowing rivers allow for adventure tourism year-round, with jetboating and skiing facilities located nearby