Lake Ellesmere
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| Lake Ellesmere Te Waihora |
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|---|---|
| Location | South Island |
| Coordinates | |
| Primary sources | Selwyn |
| Basin countries | New Zealand |
Lake Ellesmere is located in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is a broad, shallow lake located directly to the west of Banks Peninsula, separated from the Pacific Ocean by a long narrow strip of land called Kaitorete Spit.
The lake covers an area of 265 km², and is the largest lake in the alluvial fan of the Canterbury Plains. The ecosystem of Lake Ellesmere is severely threatened as a result of human activity on the Canterbury plains (see #External Links).
The rarely used Māori name is Waihora, meaning spreading legs (compare Lake Waihola). The main river that feeds the lake is the Selwyn.
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