Lake Level Update Sunday 10.30am

The level of Lake Wakatipu has commenced a clear and consistent trend downwards.

The Otago Regional Council confirmed this morning that both Lakes Wakatipu and Wanaka had peaked and were now receding.

“At 9am this morning (Sunday) Lake Wakatipu has dropped 4.6cm below the highest level reached (311.480m) which was at around 10am yesterday,”ORC environmental engineering and natural hazards director Gavin Palmer said.

Lake Wanaka had now dropped to 322mm below the first flood warning level. Significant ‘ponding’ remained on the foreshores of Queenstown Bay, Kingston and Glenorchy.
“Clearly we will need to continue to closely monitor both the level of Lake Wakatipu, which continues to be well above the ‘alarm’ level and the forecast,” Mr Palmer said.
The ORC and the Queenstown Lakes District Council would continue to be in a state of ‘preparedness’ until the lake had dropped below the warning level.

“We are working on understanding when that may be but it is likely to be at least a week if not longer,” Mr Palmer said.

Meanwhile with blue skies across the district, many businesses that had taken the precaution to move stock to high ground, had either resumed trading or were working on reinstating their businesses.