Balmoral Scheme
Balmoral Scheme
The Balmoral Scheme was built in 1985. Water is diverted from the Hurunui River below the Mandamus confluence into a diversion race on the north bank. The water then runs down a race to a control gate structure and then into a settlement pond. Any surplus water can be returned to the river at this point. A fish screen and intake are located at the head of this pond and the rate of flow into the intake is controlled by a radial gate at the river intake and a second gate at the head of the pond. The consent allows for 5 cubic metres per second of water to be taken.
Waiau Scheme
Waiau Scheme
The Waiau scheme is the largest scheme for AIC and was completed in 1978. It takes 11 cubic metres per second of water from the Waiau River at the Leslie Hills Road Bridge, which is then gravity fed along open races towards farmland closer to the townships of Culverden and Rotherham.
The scheme was originally set up for borderdyke irrigation which meant a standard unit flow of 0.35 cubic metres per second was provided to each property once every 17 days during the irrigation season. Now 99% of irrigation within this scheme is by spray irrigation.