Lake Matahina
| Lake Matahina | |
|---|---|
Lakeside view of Lake Matahina | |
Location of Lake Matahina in the North Island | |
| Location | Bay of Plenty, North Island, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 38°7′5″S 176°49′0″E / 38.11806°S 176.81667°E |
| Type | reservoir |
| River sources | Rangitaiki River |
| Built | 1960 to 1967 |
| Construction engineer | Ministry of Works |
| First flooded | 1967 |
| Max. length | 6 km (3.7 mi) |
| Surface area | 2.3 km2 (0.89 sq mi) |
| Max. depth | 50 m (160 ft) |
| Water volume | 55,000,000 m3 (1.9×109 cu ft) |
Lake Matahina is a reservoir in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand, located immediately south of the settlement of Te Mahoe and 50 km east of Rotorua. The lake was formed by the construction of the Matahina Power Station and its associated 86 m tall Matahina Dam on the Rangitaiki River, which was completed in 1967.
In 1969, five children drowned after driving a car into Lake Matahina at a camp that New Zealand author Barry Crump helped to run. Crump was charged with manslaughter over the deaths, but these charges were dropped. Fleur Adcock, one of Crump's ex-wives, said that it was negligence on his behalf that the children died.