WAIMAKARIRI FLOODS

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26129, 3 June 1950, Page 8

WAIMAKARIRI FLOODS

“ REASON TO BE VERY THANKFUL” MR W. MACrfIN REVIEWS SITUATION “This time last week, the river, which was at its lowest recorded level —so low that the instruments would not measure the flow—had barely begun to rise. Then within 24 hours the river rose from a flow of about 1000 cusecs to at least 180.000 cusecs.” said the chairman of the North Canterbury Catchment Board (Mr W. Machin) when reporting to a meeting of the board yesterday on the flooding of the Waimakariri river last weekend. The experience gained by the flood would stand the board in good stead in the future, he said, and as a result of that experience, proposals would be made to improve the protective works.

“The general feeling is that we have reason to be very thankful, and as a result of the flood the river has a better mouth than it has had for some time.” he added. “There are a lot of items on the debit side, but there are also some on the credit.” One peculiarity was that the flood hung for seven hours at its peak, which was an extraordinary thing. The May average for the watershed was 9in. but in three days 30Jin fell in the watershed —l2in on Thursday and 16Jin on Friday.

The officer commanding the Royal New Zealand Air Force station. Wigram (Wing Commander A. B. Greenaway), was commended by Mr Machin for his action in supplying an aircraft and pilots so that a survey of the flood could be made from the air. The chief engineer to the board (Mr H. W. Harris) and his staff were thanked for “the great job of work they did,” and appreciation of the Waimairi County Council’s assistance in supplying machines, and to other county councils who offered help, was expressed. The Salvation Army was thanked for the part it played in feeding and assisting the staff and residents, and later £2l was voted to the organisation in recognition of its services.