Council acts on water loss at Lanes Dam
ALEXANDRA residents are delighted action appears to be happening at Lanes Dam but say it should not have taken this long.
The dam, located in Alexandra’s Bridge Hill suburb, had been experiencing considerable water loss over the past ‘‘two or three years’’, residents said.
In a Facebook post this week, the Central Otago District Council confirmed a specialist had been engaged to investigate the cause of the water loss at the dam.
The post said ‘‘the location and extent of the water loss will determine the options for a longterm resolution to return Lanes Dam to its former glory’’.
When approached by the Otago
Daily Times, the council said noone was available for further comment.
Bridge Hill resident Allan Chisholm and his wife, Pam, moved to Alexandra from Mosgiel five years ago and their home overlooks Lanes Dam.
He said there had been a lack of action from the council.
‘‘Our neighbours have been on their case all the time.’’
Mr Chisholm said water levels had fallen about 2m over the past few years.
‘‘It’s pretty awful to look at.’’ Water levels at Aronui Dam, which feeds into Lanes Dam, have been an ongoing headache for the council.
In last year’s JanuaryMarch report, the council said irrigation was a possible factor. Aronui Dam was fed from an irrigation race, part of an irrigation scheme fed from Butchers Dam.
Mr Chisholm said work had been done at Aronui Dam but it had not eased the issues facing Lanes Dam. He said a leak at the back of the dam near an overflow channel was a potential cause.
‘‘That’s the lowest point. It’s not going out anywhere else.’’
The dam was once a popular picnic spot, but Mr Chisholm said the water loss kept people away.
‘‘People used to come here to take wedding photos and feed the ducks, but that hasn’t happened recently.
‘‘It’s an extremely sad sight.’’