EVEN FLOW

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 109, 10 May 1941, Page 7

EVEN FLOW

WAIKATO RIVER

LAKE TAUPO SCHEME | Rapid progress is being made with the scheme being carried out at Lake Taupo for the regulation of the' flow of water from the lake into the; Waikato River. With the completion] of the work next September the hydro-electric works at Arapuni will! be assured of ample supplies of: water throughout the year. The' I plan is to utilise more fully the! [supply from the lake, which has a ; (single outflow through the Waikato. [River. This means that in dryi jseasons when the river would nor-| imally be low the flow will be; (retained at a level sufficient to enable] the hydro-electric works at Arapuni' to function normally. This is notl now the case, the water in the Wai-| kato frequently being too low to; keep the plant operating at maxi-| mum capacity. | Flood waters that are now sol quickly lost will be stored and the; flood gates being built in conjunction! with a traffic bridge will be in constant operation, either damming) back the flow or letting through the! waters of the lake. "A properly regulated flow is what: we are aiming at.'' said one of thej engineers yesterday. "That is thej whole idea.'' The scheme embraces! a regulating dam and a highway! bridge with two carriageways across; the new channel of the river that is] being constructed. The old trussj bridge at Taupo across the Waikato' River will be demolished and the! river channel diverted. This por-| tion of the work is well in hand. It! cuts out the original stream for a 1 distance of 24 chains. The width of the stream will be 100 ft. The regulating dam is provided with lifting gear between the carriageways, and there will be a lock, under the" bridge to enable launches to proceed through the dam. A row of "teeth" on the bed < the channel under the bridge has been built to preven' undue ' elor y of water which might scour o \ tr '• ""oundations.

In addition to the river deviation' the condition of the channel is being improved between the lake and Totara Rapids. The work is disturb-; ing the trout and interfering with their natural food. Mechanical: appliances are being used to remove) sandbars and pieces of rock that obstruct the flow. "Anglers will! perhaps be inconvenienced for a! time," said one of the engineers of the Public Works Department. 'This, of course, is regrettable, but there is every likelihood when conditions settle down that the fishing will be equal to that of the past.''