RANGITAIKI DRAINAGE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 164, 6 October 1941, Page 5

RANGITAIKI DRAINAGE

RIVER MOUTH PROBLEM

REQUEST TO LANDS DEPARTMENT

The problem of opening up l land groyning a cut through the sandspit at the mouth of the Rangitaiki River is ait present engaging the attention of the Rangitaiki Plains Ratepayers Association. This organisation, which has functioned for 20 years as an intermediary between the settlers paying land drainage rates and tlie Lands Department, this week is making representations to the Department with a view to getting some improvements made at the Rangitaiki River outlet near Thornton.

Reason for Flooding

Flooding of low-lying farm land at Thornton during the past winter has been attributed by settlers to the high level of water in the river And the drainage canals resulting from the sandspit impounding the fiver -water in a large estuary. Settlers declare that their land is more Waterlogged than it was 10 or 20 years ago when the river went straight out to sea. In recent years the river has turned down the coast towards Whakatanc, with its mouth blocked by a sandspit many chains long. Fruitless Effort • Efforts by the Lands Department's dredge to cut through the si>it during July and August were without result. The river, which was not in Hood at the time, would not scour out and widen the cut made by the dredge.

Settlers with long acquaintance with the river and tides declare that the river mouth will continue to silt up until the river channel is flanked by groynes of piles and timber for some distance upstream from the sea. This is stated to have been contemplated in 1914, but was never carried out, probably because of disturbed conditions during the 191418 World War. Of Great Importance Flowing through the middle of the Rangitaiki Plains, the Rangitaiki River is the main water channel that ensures the drainage of an area of nearly 100,000 acres of level land. It can be realised that the problem of keeping the river mouth wide open to the sea is one of the utmost importance, not only for Thornton settlers but for all settlers on the

Plains. "The position at present is most unsatisfactory," commented Mr Mc-Crac-ken to a Beacon representative on Saturday!, "and something of a permanent nature should be done." He added that at present the backing up of water was causing considerable loss and that another six inches of dry ground would mean a tremendous lot to the farmers concerned. Mr W. A. McCracken is vice-president of the Ratepayers Association. In the interests of the affected farmers Mr McCracken intends to-day Communicating with the Department ioy telegram with a view to arranging for officials to visit the Plains and inspect the river mouth.