SLUICE GATES OPENED
(New Zealand Press Association) DUNEDIN, December 13. Designed to clear a flood of 120,000 cusecs, which might occur once in 100 years, the sluice channel at the 540,000 kw Benmore hydroelectric dam carried its first water on Saturday.
Slowly, at first, as the sluice gates were raised by hydraulic equipment, the water crept over the upstream floor of the channel before gaining momentum and rolling down the 1470 ft sluiceway in wavelets to dissipate at the deflector block. The 2000 cusec flow released through the sluice gates seemed but a trickle as it spread over the 120 ft width channel floor. No official ceremony was held to mark the occasion but there was a large crowd on the dam top and lining Ihe 30ft concrete walls down the sides.
When the sluice gates were opened, the water in Lake Benmore had reached a height of 1090 feet above sea level, 210 feet above river level. In spite of this rise the Benmore dam is now only carrying about a third of its total capacity. It is expected it will take at least another two months, if present flows are maintained, to reach operating level of 1180 feet above sea level.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30623, 14 December 1964, Page 1
Word Count
203SLUICE GATES OPENED Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30623, 14 December 1964, Page 1
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