He teihana hiko wai kei roto i ngā hanganga pupuri wai i te awa, ko te nuinga, ko te katoa rānei o te wai whakaputa e kohikohia ana.

Ko ngā teihana hiko wai momo tāpae e pā ana ki ngā teihana hiko wai e hanga ana i ngā hanganga pupuri wai ki runga i te awa hei hanga i tētahi puna wai, e whakaemi ana i te wai tūturu hei whakapiki i te taumata wai, ā, e whakamahi ana i te rerekētanga o te upoko hei whakaputa hiko. Ko te āhuatanga matua ko te tāpae me te tipu hiko wai e whakaemi ana i roto i te wāhanga awa poto kotahi.
Ko ngā teihana hiko wai momo tāpae he maha ngā hanganga pupuri wai, ngā hanganga tuku wai, ngā paipa pēhanga, ngā tipu hiko, ngā tāwhana, ngā whakaputa hiko me ngā taputapu āwhina. Ko te nuinga o ngā teihana hiko wai me ngā tāpae hei hanganga pupuri wai he teihana hiko wai teitei-waenga, ā, ko te nuinga o ngā teihana hiko wai me ngā kēti hei hanganga pupuri wai he teihana hiko wai teitei-iti. Ina kore te teitei o te wai, ā, he whānui te awa, ka whakamahia te tipu hiko hei wāhanga o te hanganga pupuri wai. Ka kiia hoki tēnei momo teihana hiko wai he teihana hiko wai awaawa, he teihana hiko wai momo tāpae anō hoki.
E ai ki te tūranga o te tāhuna me te tipu hiko wai, ka taea te wehewehe i ngā teihana hiko wai momo tāhuna kia rua ngā wāhanga: te momo tāhuna me te awaawa. Kei te taha whakararo o te tinana tāhuna te tipu hiko wai momo tāhuna, ā, ka hurihia te wai mā te paipa pēhanga hei whakaputa hiko. Kāore te tipu e mau i te pēhanga wai o runga. Ko te whare hiko, te tāhuna, te awaawa me ētahi atu whare o te teihana hiko wai o raro o te awa kei roto katoa i te awaawa. He wāhanga rātou o te hanganga pupuri wai, ā, e mau ana i te pēhanga wai o runga. He pai tēnei whakaritenga hei penapena i te haumitanga katoa o te kaupapa.

He teitei te tāhuna o te teihana hiko wai kei muri i te tāhuna. Tuatahi, ka whakamahia te tihi teitei hei whakanui ake i te kaha tāuta o te teihana hiko, ka taea te urutau ki ngā whakaritenga whakahaere tihi o te pūnaha hiko; tuarua, he nui te kaha o te puna wai hei whakahaere i te rere tihi hei whakaiti i te pēhanga whakahaere waipuke o te awa e heke ana; tuatoru, he nui ake ngā painga whānui. Ko te ngoikoretanga ko te pikinga o te ngaronga waipuke i te rohe puna wai, ā, he uaua te neke me te whakanoho anō i ngā tāngata noho tāone me te taiwhenua. Nō reira, ko ngā teihana hiko wai kei muri i te tāhuna me ngā tāhuna teitei me ngā puna wai nui ka hangaia i ngā awaawa maunga teitei, i ngā wāhi he nui te rerenga wai me te iti o te waipuke.
Ko te nuinga o ngā teihana hiko wai nui kei muri i ngā tāke wai o te ao kei roto i tōku whenua. Ko te tuatahi ko te Teihana Hiko Wai o Three Gorges, me te katoa o te kaha tāuta o te 22.5 miriona kirowati. Haunga ngā painga nui o te whakaputa hiko, kei te Teihana Hiko Wai o Three Gorges ngā painga whānui o te whakarite i te whakahaere waipuke i waenganui me raro o te awa o Yangtze, te whakapai ake i te whakatere me te whakamahinga o ngā rauemi wai, ā, e kiia ana ko "ngā taputapu taumaha o te whenua."