Lake Grassmere
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Lake Grassmere is found close to the shore of Cook Strait in the northeastern South Island of New Zealand.
Covering an area of 17 km², 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 this, 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.
The Maori name for the lake is Kaparatehau ("wind-blown lake"). In pre-European times it was used as a ready source of food, as it attracts a wide range of waterfowl.
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