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Press, 6 July 1976, Page 21

The road bridge across the old dam at Lake Pukaki keeps bobbing up and down like a fiddler’s elbow. A couple of weeks ago the bridge had almost disappeared as the level of the lake crept up and up on the way to its new height, which will ultimately be 120 ft above the original level. But with the onset of winter, and the high demand for electricity 7, the reserves in the lake have been drawn to supply water for generation at Benmore and further downstream. Hence, the level of Lake Pukaki has fallen again from 23ft to 17ft, and the old dam has emerged from the grave, so to speak. The water level yesterday was below the carriageway of the old bridge, whereas not long ago it was level with the rails on top of the bridge, as is shown in the top photograph. The Electricity Department expects that the level of Lake Pukaki w ill continue to fall and the old bridge will remain visible for several months. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Works is pressing on with the construction of the final stages of the new high dam behind which the huge head of water in Lake Pukaki will be held. The concrete construction on the left in the top photograph is the spillway which lets water discharge from the lake at times of high levels. The structure beyond the lake (shown in greater detail below) is the inlet to the Pukaki canal. This will pass water from Lake Pukaki through a canal eight miles long to Lake Ohau power station, which will generate 264 megawatts. Before the canal water reaches Ohau A it will be joined by another canal drawing water from Lake Ohau. Ohau A station will be the first in the chain of stations drawing water from three lakes—Tekapo, Pukaki, and Ohau.