THE WAIMAKARIRI

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21967, 16 December 1936, Page 12

THE WAIMAKARIRI

CUTTING A NEW MOUTH

Starting from the estuary edge of the sandspit the work of cutting a new mouth for the Waimakariri river, 10 chains long and 30 yards wide, was begun at 7.30 yesterday morning and by 8 o'clock last evening, when work ceased for the day, 1400 cubic yards of the 7000 yards of sand to be shifted had been removed. The site of the new mouth will be about a quarter of a mile south of Kairaki, and it had been hoped that as the estuary had banked up 18 inches above sea level some assistance would be got from the river, but before a start could be made the river had cut a temporary mouth to the south and reduced the height in the lagoon. The success of the project, Mr H. W. Harris, engineer to the trust, said last evening, depended on so many factors of wind and tide that prediction was a difficult matter, but they intended to get water through the channel. The cutting of this mouth is the last link in the chain of cuts undertaken by the River Trust as a protective measure, and if it is successful the last stage of the river's course will be straightened and in flood times the surplus water will run to the sea faster without the risk of banking up and breaking through protective works. When a similar attempt was made three years ago wind, waves, and the river filled the artificial channel as fast as the sand could be removed. One drag-line excavator with a capacity of 60 cubic yards an hour, a clam-shell excavator with a capacity of 45 yards an hour and four horse-drawn scoops were engaged on the work yesterday. It had been intended to have six-horse scoops at work, but only four drivers were available as others had refused thinking that work at this stage might debar them from receiving the Christmas bonus. To-day five drivers employed by the trust, who were engaged on other work yesterday, will be transferred to the work, and nine horsedrawn scoops will be in operation preparing the ground for the excavators to deal with the wet sand.