He said there was some concern at what the public reaction would be to the studies, which had not been done before.
But he stressed that they were a statutory requirement and public consultation had begun on what steps should be taken next. The findings would by law have to now be included on land information reports.
But Mr Cooper said they would be further refined and completed after public consultation, which meant some of the information might not remain on the reports.
The main affected area was around the eastern side of the lake, from the Taupo settlement down to Waitahanui, 11km south.
"That is the most exposed part because it is exposed to southerly and southwesterly winds across the lake bringing wave inundation and flooding."
Mr Cooper said Taupo had problems similar to coastal areas. The lake was about 30km wide at its widest point and waves could blow up to 1.5m high.
He said there had been some quite bad flooding around Taupo in 1987, in what he would describe as a one-in- 50-year event.
With global warming trends Mr Cooper expected problems.
"It's going to be more and more water so we have to be aware."
The flood study by Opus Consultants was jointly funded by Environment Waikato and the Taupo District Council.
The findings in the flood study and a separate study into erosion around the lakeshore would help with the development of a strategy to clarify roles and responsibilities.
Mr Cooper said the new information would help ensure that development in areas potentially affected by flooding was appropriately managed.
That might include matters such as controlling the floor height or location of buildings, and future applications for building or resource consents would be considered on a case-by-case basis.
But residents the Herald spoke to who live along the lakeshore were not worried when the newspaper broke the news of the study to them last night.
Mathew Purvis, who lives with his wife Heather in Tawhaa Rd on Five Mile Beach, 6km south of Taupo, said Mighty River Power did a good enough job of draining the lake at its hydro stations.
"I wouldn't dwell on it, to tell you the truth. I'm pretty sure we'd get some sort of warning before [water] started coming into the house, that's for sure. The lake is rather big and it has a huge catchment area, it'd need a lot of water over a short period of time to flood over its banks.
"I think the last time it rained like that Noah built an ark, didn't he? That was more than 100 years ago. You still won't put us off."
Gordon Collier, who lives in Mahuta Rd in Waitahanui, said he was more worried about the lake erupting than a flood. The lake lies in a caldera created following a huge volcanic eruption about 26,500 years ago.
"We live in a concrete house so it would take a big flood to knock us down," Mr Collier said.
Another resident who has lived in Wairau Ave on the other side of State Highway 1 in Waitahanui for 30 years said she did not fear for her house.
"The lake seems to be getting lower and lower. I don't think there's going to be any flooding."
Insurance Council chief executive Chris Ryan said the new information would probably not affect property owners' insurance policies.
"A flood which may happen once in 100 years ... it's pretty unlikely that would affect people's insurance. Even one in 50 years is still pretty insurable."
* Visit www.taupo.govt.nz or www.ew.govt.nz for flood maps.
