A secure water supply for the Waimea Plains is the most important and urgent local issue the Nelson Tasman region faces.
The Latest
The first stage in building the Waimea Community Dam has started. The three-year project began in early March 2019 with site works to create access to the Lee Valley site. This was followed by the burying of a mauri stone, a mark of respect to Papa the earth mother and a blessing bestowed on the site and the structure that will be located there. This phase is expected to take about six months.
The second phase includes construction of the dam itself. The concrete-face rock fill dam will be about 53m high, 220m long, and 6m wide at the crest. About 430,000m3 of rock will be used to build the dam or be recycled on site. This phase is expected to take about 18 months, finishing around October 2021.
Once the dam is in place, the reservoir will fill up naturally for several months, with the final commissioning in February 2022. The lake created by the dam will contain approximately 13 million cubic metres of water.
With the Dam we will all have:
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- sufficient water at our homes all year
- healthy Lee and Waimea Rivers to swim and fish in
- a healthy Waimea River that doesn't dry up, have algal blooms, or see dead aquatic species
- a robust economy from the success of horticulture and farming industries
- jobs for people in our primary industries and the support services working with them
- a better chance that families can maintain and grow their businesses for children and grandchildren
- families staying and growing together in our community
Click here to read the more news about the project.
