Dam Sediment Investigation of Wairoa Dam
eCoast Marine Consulting and Research was commissioned by Watercare Services Ltd to investigate the accumulation of sediment in the Wairoa Reservoir
eCoast Marine Consulting and Research was commissioned to investigate the accumulation of sediment in the Wairoa Reservoir. The study encompassed the estimation of the rate at which sediment is entering the reservoir in order to develop an estimate of the time in years it would take for the reservoir to be completely filled in, estimating the quantity of sediment currently stored within the reservoir, presenting options that could be implemented to decrease or slow the accumulation rate, and identify methods which could be adopted to remove the sediment presently there. To investigate rates of sedimentation, a bathymetry survey of the water body was undertaken and compared to a previous bathymetry survey undertaken in 2000. The difference was then used to determine the sedimentation rate of the dam over the last 14 years and provided a poxy for the forecast of sediment accumulation.
