of 1,595 GWh. Along with Lake Tekapo's 770 GWh storage, it provides over half New Zealand's hydroelectricity storage capacity. In September 2012, Environment Canterbury approved a change in conditions of Meridian Energy's resource consent controlling the water levels and flows of Lake Pukaki. The change allows Meridian to lower the lake a further five metres from the minimum level of 518m above sea level in the event of an energy crisis. Nearby settlements The closest town to Lake Pukaki is Twizel, to the south of the lake and Tekapo is 47 km (32 minutes drive) to the northeast. skirts the southern end of the lake, and runs north along the length of its western shore, to Mount Cook Village in the Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park. The nearby Pukaki Scientific Reserve is home to the Nationally Endangered moth species Izatha psychra. Road Safety State Highway 8 runs along the edge of Lake Pukaki. A number of crashes have occurred here as drivers have come around a blind corner, seen Lake Pukaki and wanted to stop at an unsafe location to enjoy the view. 2020 Fire A significant scrub fire burnt on the shores of Lake Pukaki in August 2020. Both State Highway 8 and SH80 were closed. Firefighters fought the fire with 14 monsoon bucket equipped helicopters, two fixed-wing aircraft, and 10 fire engines. The fire destroyed 3500 hectares and took 12 days to put out. $1 million was spent fighting it. Environmentalists believe that the spread of wilding pines in the Mackenzie District along with the dry conditions allowed the scrub fire to become so destructive. Pukaki Scientific Reserve The Pukaki Scientific Reserve is a small scientific reserve located on the western side of Lake Pukaki next to the Mount Cook road. It is only 32 hectares in size. The Pukaki Scientific Reserve is home to the endangered Izatha psychra moth. The Lake Pukaki area is also home to the "Data Deficient" fly species Anabarhynchus albipennis. References Further reading External links Department of Conservation – Mackenzie Basin short walks Lakes of Canterbury, New Zealand