NEW MOUTH FOR WAIMAKARIRI

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21974, 24 December 1936, Page 7

NEW MOUTH FOR WAIMAKARIRI

CHANNEL OPENED TO SEA LAST NIGHT The final step in making a new mouth for the Waimakariri river was taken at the peak of the tide last night at midnight. The actual cutting of a channel for the mouth through a sandspit was finished on Monday evening, but before the mouth could be opened the mole, which was being built out into the stream to divert the river required to be lengthened. Work was continued on that on Tuesday and yesterday, but owing to a fresh in the r 'ver creating some danger of the mole being washed away, it was decided to open the mouth last evening. what success the attempt met with could not be ascertained last evening. The. ultimate success of the plan depends on so many factors of wind and tide that the engineer to the trust, Mr H. W. Harris, would not predict what the result would be, although he was determined that a flow of water would be put through the new channel. Cutting the mouth involved shifting 7000 cubic yards of sand, most of which was done by two mechanical excavators. When the cutting was completed b-rriers were left at either end, and all that had to be done last evening was to break through these.