Lake Grassmere

Lake Grassmere / Kapara Te Hau is a New Zealand lake in the northeastern South Island, close to Cook Strait. The lake is used for the production of salt.GeographyLake Grassmere, 25mi south of Blenheim and 6mi south of the mouth of the Awatere River, is a shallow lagoon protected from the open sea by a single barrier beach covered by sand dunes. It is on the north-easterly extension of the Ward depression.Covering an area of 17km2, it has no natural inflow and is prone to strong warm winds. Close to the sea, it also has a very high salinity.Because of these geographical characteristics, it is ideal for natural salt extraction. Grassmere has been divided into solar evaporation ponds. Seawater is pumped in, and moved between ponds over several months, increasing in salinity with each successive evaporation period. As salinity increases, crystallised salt forms and is extracted.Grassmere's area varies between 3500and; this maximum is attained only in rare floods. The watershed is small. The climate, with a low average rainfall of 585mm and prevailing strong and dry north-westerly winds, provides Lake Grassmere with the suitable conditions required for natural economic salt production.Early historyThe Māori name for the lake is Kapara Te Hau ("wind-blown lake"). Early whalers on the coast rendered this name “Cobblers' Hole”.According to Māori oral tradition, the lake occupies the site of early cultivations. Kupe, the navigator, is said to have poured salt water on these cultivations, thus creating the lake.