the world they had seen and that the lake was one of the most picturesque in the world. The lake hosted the 2010 Rowing World Championships. The purpose-built Sir Don Rowlands Centre was completed in June 2010, prior to the event. Hydroelectric power The 96-megawatt Karapiro Power Station is located adjacent to the dam at the head of the lake, and is the eighth and last hydroelectric power station located on the Waikato River. Wateris taken from the lake is passed through three Kaplan turbines in the powerhouse, before being deposited into the lower Waikato River. Each turbine turns a 32 MW generator, and the electricity from the generators is fed into Transpower's national grid. The station is a base load generator due to its need to maintain water flows into the Waikato River system beyond the lake. References External links Reservoirs in New Zealand Lakes of Waikato Waikato River Rowing venues