Manawatu, Wairarapa Floods Again

Press, Volume C, Issue 29609, 4 September 1961, Page 14

Manawatu, Wairarapa Floods Again

CN.Z. Press Association)

PALMERSTON NORTH, September 3.

For the second time in four weeks thousands of acres of farmland in Manawatu have been flooded. In both the Taonui and Moutoa basins today, water from the Manawatu river, which rose to a height of 15ft 9in, poured over the land, blocking two principal roads.

Today’s flooding followed much the same pattern as that set by the flood on August 6. On that occasion the Manawatu did not carry as great a volume of water as it did today but the Oroua river and Mangaone streams added their weight to flooding. This time, neither the Oroua nor the Mangaone was as high as the previous flood.

The Manawatu ran at a height of 15ft 9in from 5 a.m. today until about noon. It spilled over into the Taonui basin about 2 a.m., and into the Moutoa basin later. An estimated 5000 acres was covered by floodwaters in the Taonui and the Moutoa flooding was described as fairly extensive by the Manawatu Catchment Board’s chief engineer, Mr P. G. Evans, last evening. The Palmerston NorthHimatangi road was closed by floodwaters at about 2 a.m. today at the half-crown bend

—the same place at which it was blocked early last month. The Foxton-Shannon road, too, was closed by floodwaters. Both roads were still blocked tonight. Further flooding is not expected now and the Manawatu river was dropping tonight. At 9 p.m. the Fitzherbert bridge gauge reading was 13ft 6in. Heavy Rain

ition in August the lake level was lower when the flood began and the peak level of Bft expected by Tuesday will be 18in lower this time. The lake outlet to the sea again is open. The water is getting away more quickly this time although the level of the main river, the Ruamahanga, is higher today than it was in the earlier flood. The Wairarapa Catchment Board’s flood warning system has been in action and no major stock losses are expected around the lake. But stock has been lost in the tributary catchments. The rain was particularly heavy in the Tararun foothills feeding the Waipoua and Waiohine rivers. Four inches fell in 24 hours in the Whangaehu district and this river flooded the flats. The Tauera and Kouparanga rivers have been running very high and hundreds of acres of adjacent land have been flooded. In these areas there have been considerable losses of ewes and lambs. Flood waters have been across the main CartertonGreytown road and the Masterton-Gladstone road. In Masterton a further 1.26 inches of rain fell in the 24 hours ended 9 a.m. today after nearly an inch in the previous 24 hours. Six inches have fallen in the same oeriod in the Whangaehu. Numerous slips are down in secondary roads in the Wairarapa. One of the worst is at Rangitumau, where a section of a bluff appears to be slinping into the river. In the Wairarapa only brief light showers fell today In some areas and the river levels are beginning to drop.

Thousands of acres of lowlying land around Lake Wairarapa are also under water after heavy rain in the Wairarapa. But in contrast to the pos-