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The project was meant to boost renewable energy production, but local groups worried its proposed stream diversions would do severe harm to the environment.
This has been a tremendous relief for irrigators on the Waimea Plain - removing the need for rationing and having to reduce crop levels - as well as benefiting urban and commercial water users of council-managed reticulated supplies.
Milk from Murray King's farm on the lower Waimea River flats is crafted into award-winning ice cream. "We had to find a way of generating better income than we would by producing whole milk powder with the major dairy companies," he said.
As Jamie O'Brien documents in his latest vlog, a dedicated crew set about creating a standing wave in the Waimea River, amidst flash flooding on the island.
When the Waimea River is full to bursting, a wave can be created just by moving a bit of sand. Jamie O'Brien and Koa Smith surfed that wave at its biggest.