TAUPO LEVEL DANGEROUSLY LOW

Chronicle (Levin), 25 May 1946, Page 5

TAUPO LEVEL DANGEROUSLY LOW

TAUPO, May 23. Althougli 5.94in. of rain has fallen in tlie Taupo area this inoiith, the Jevel of the Iake remains dangerously Jow. It would appear that a niucli heavier javerage than the 2()in. per aiiuum as in jtlie past will lie necessary to brinjj tlie level up to anything near wliat is required before next summer 's dry spell sets in. The lake xvas eonsidered fulj last November, and from then 011 began to fa 11 steadily until, with slight fluetun tions, it had dropped 4ft. 10in. bv April 0, the lowest point reached for ja number of vears. By April 2,3 it had reeovered 3iu.;> liut has again dropped to 4ft. 8in. below the November level. The latest reading- would indieate that tlie level is only just holding its own. With the surfaee area- of 238 square miles, steady heai'v rain is urgently needed to liave any efTect. Althougli the lake level has remained low for long periods in the, past, notably in 1915 — there were then no hydro-eleetrie, works to be affeeted — today tlie position is entirelv different, and unless an improvement in the level takes jilaee soon tlie position will become very serious. f