Lake Dunstan

Story

Lake Dunstan is a man-made lake and reservoir in the South Island of New Zealand.The lake was formed on the Clutha River as a result of the construction of the Clyde Dam, filling in four controlled stages beginning in April 1992 and completed the next year. Parts of the town of Cromwell were relocated to a new area above the new lake. Between the town of Cromwell and the Clyde Dam the lake passes through what is called the Cromwell Gorge.Lake Dunstan provides irrigation for nearby stone fruit orchards and vineyards, and is a major recreational asset, with facilities for boating waterskiing, fishing, parapenting, and rowing.The dam and lake became well known in New Zealand due to media coverage of the geological problems during its construction. While the dam was being built at least one landslide occurred at Cairnmuir, a series of bluffs overlooking the gorge where the dam was built. All parties involved denied responsibility for not finding the problem.Because of the expense of stabilising the gorge walls and the changing economic climate, this was also the last of Rob Muldoon's Think Big projects.ProtestsThere was vocal protest against the project from the local community, with calls for the planning and project to cease. Environmentalists, scientists, lawyers, recreational river users, families that had lived here for generations, and others that had recently moved to the area, protested, none seemed more poignantly than the artists.