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Summary of the effects of land use change between Taupō and Karāpiro on the flood hydrology of the Waikato River catchment

TR 2009/21

Report: TR 2002/21

Authors: Ross Woods (NIWA), Ian Jowett (Mighty River Power) Rory Nathan and Jon Williamson (Wairaki Pastoral Ltd), Alan Pattle (Carter Holt Harvey) Murray Mulholland and Ghassan Basheer (Environment Waikato), Daniel Collins and Jochen Schmidt (IWA) John Hansford and Blair Thornborrow (SKM), Dr Steven Joynes (Golovin)

Abstract

This study looks at changes to the upper catchment between Karāpiro and Taupō.

Any significant change in land use has potential to impact on flood hydrology of the Waikato River and its tributaries. This includes subsequent effects downstream of Karāpiro dam and impacts on the flood protection works of the Lower Waikato Waipa Control Scheme.

This report assesses the change in Waikato flood hydrology for different magnitude floods at three different scales: (i) local flooding within the upper Waikato; (ii) Karāpiro outflows, and (iii) the lower Waikato River system.