A major feature of the upper Waitaki hydro scheme is the canals which help combine the resources of Lakes Tekapo, Pukaki and Ohau.
These canals have a total length of more than 58 kilometres. Their construction required the excavation of nearly 45 million cubic meters of spoil.
The canals allow fishing all year round. The Tekapo canal contains a Sockeye salmon farm while the Ohau C canal has a Chinook salmon farm.
| Canal | Length (km) | With (metres) | Depth (metres) | Peak Flow (m3/s) |
| Tekapo Canal | 26.5 | 39.6 | 5.3 | 130 |
| Pukaki Canal | 12.0 | 80.4 | 10.1 | 560 |
| Ohau Canal | 8.4 | 63.5 | 5.8 | 200 |
| Ohau Canal A | 1.0 | 97.0 | 12.0 | 560 |
| Ohau Canal B | 2.8 | 97.6 | 10.1 | 560 |
| Ohau Canal C | 7.3 | 97.6 | 10.1 | 560 |