HEAVY RAIN IN ALPS

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26123, 27 May 1950, Page 6

HEAVY RAIN IN ALPS

Heavy rain in the catchment areas of Lake Coleridge and the Waitaki river on Thursday night produced a sudden improvement in the storage of water for electricity for the South Island main system yesterday. The level of all storage lakes except Mahhjerangi was raised, but violent flooding of the Harper river, which flows into Lake Coleridge, and fouling of the irrigation race at Highbank with gorse blown in by the nor’wester created dilricuities for tne staff oi tne state Hyaro-elecinc Department. j_ate yesterday afternoon the flood in the Harper river was the highest ever i recorded by the department, and me j flow, wnicn nad iailen lo a record low level of 16U cusecs on Tuesday, had risen to 10,UUi) cusecs. The diversion gales were closed in an effort to conserve the waler, but late in the afternoon 4i)o cusecs were going over the top of tne gates as waste. A survey gang and other State Hydro-elec-tric Department employees were still working last evening to control the flood and prevent damage. Heavy rain was still falling there late in the afternoon. The Rakaia river was in flood and was reported to be running bank to bank at Lake Coleridge. The flood was stated to be the heaviest in 10 years. At Highbank the load on the power station had to be reduced because gorse blown from surrounding areas by the nor’-wester was piling up against the screens at the entrance to the surge chamber. Members of the staff at the station were working in relays late yesterday afternoon clearing away in? gorse, and it was expected that they would nave to conlinue working at night. Heavy rain in the Mount Cook area overnight raised the level of Lake Pukaki yesterday morning. At The Hermitage 11J inches of rain was re-

corded up to 9 a.m. yesterday, and the lake level had risen by a tenth of a foot. At 7.30 p.m. the lake level was 1624 feet ani \va still rising i m ihe Waitaki river, vvilh the control gates at Lake Pukaki restricting the outflow, had risen lo 4940 cusecs compared with 4774 cusecs on Thursday. A.t Lake Coleridge, where 1.09 inches of rain fell overn> r ht, the level had risen only .02 feet. Heavy rain was reported at Lake Monowai late yesterday afternoon, and the fall of 1.27 inches up to 9 a.m. yesterday produced a rise of .08 feet. Lake Mahinorangi dropped .21 feet, but light rain was falling lhert* in the afternoon. The total storage in the lakes yesterday at 9 a.m. was 85,460.000 units compared with 85.660.000 at the same time on Thursday. Only 200,000 units were drawn out of storage in the 24 hours ended at 9 a.m. yesterday compared with recent averages of about 800.000 units a day. Consumption in the M.E.D. area since Monday has been about H per cent, below the a’l-K-Mioi Hydro-elccti ic Department. On Thursday consumption was nearly 3 per cent, below the allocate n. Although heavy rain in the catchment areas h.?s relieved the position, storage is still being drawn off. and State Hydro-electric Department officials emphasised yesterday that there should be no relaxation in th< servaticn of power. * There was still an urgent need f ,- r full savings as the heavy rain reported might cease as rapidly as it had begun.