WAIAU RIVER-BED BLOCKED

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 260, 3 August 1928, Page 14

WAIAU RIVER-BED BLOCKED

RESULT OF BIG LANDSLIDE

FARM LANDS IN DANGER

Dominion Special Service.

Auckland. August 2.

One result of the recent heavy rains is the formation of lake on the Waiau River near Coromandel, about a quarter of a mile below Waiau Falls, telegraphes the “Star’s” Thames correspondent. A huge landslip came down into the bed of the Waiau Stream and completely blocked the old course and resulted in the formation of a lake, the waters having been backed up for nearly 300 yards and, confined by cliffs o the Coromandel side, have spread out over the adjoining paddocks. It is difficult to say what the outcome . f this blocking of the stream bed will be, but there must be an enormous weight of water above the slip and it is just a question as to whether the material of which the slip is composed will settle into a solid mass, thus creating a lake permanently or whether the accumulated weight of he pent-up water will force its way through the slip and cause something similar to the bursting of a dam. Already the water has flooded the paddocks on Tiki Flat, and near Mr. Mannion's place '*• has completely washed away the road on the northern side. It is now washing right- .up against Mr. Roots’s fence and appears to be eroding the 1 ink fast. Should the waters of the newly-formed lake burst through, it is thought they will wash away the Waiau bridge, which is said to be already weakened by the recent floods. Settlers in the district state that the only solution appears to be cutting a canal from the bend in the stream to the old course, which will cut out the Waiau bridge, but this would necessitate a new bridge being erected. An old settler state that unless immediate action is taken the next fresh will “settle” the Waiau bridge.