PRECAUTIONS TAKEN

Evening Star, Issue 25925, 17 October 1946, Page 6

PRECAUTIONS TAKEN

RIVER HIGH AT BALGLUTHA

DANGER POINT NOT REACHED

With the danger centre in the 'Balclutha district, a close watch is being kept on the surging, discoloured Clutha River, which early this morning had spilled its banks, cut off two secondary roads leading to Kaitangata and Clydevale, and was still rising at noon to-day. The general picture presented then was that before the danger point was reached (as it was expected to later this afternoon), the Clutha would have to rise 4Jft before creating widespread damage through leaving its channel to the sea.

Viewed from the Balclutha Bridge at 12.30 this afternoon, the river was a seething mass, resembling the big flood of February of last year. Racing towards its outlet, the river was carrying a large quantity of debris* including uprooted willow trees and timbering, thought to have come from

the' dredging areas in Central Otago and from the Lowburn

dredge, near Cromwell, in particular. The Clutha was substantially • fed by the swollen Kakarau River, which it joins at Cromwell.

Since last night the Clutha River liad risen on the gauge at the Balclutha Bridge to 69ft, and had about 4}ft torise before the danger level was reached. . FARMERS REMOVE STOCK.

Always a source of trouble when the [ Clutha River is running abnormally ! high, Inch Clutha was partly isolated j this afternoon by flood waters, but there were no stock losses owing to farmers having been warned of; the,] danger in ample time to allow them to j remove stock to higher country. Pre- j cautions were taken late'yesterday and j last night to strengthen the flood banks i by the Lower Clutha River Trust, and | except for the Inch- Clutha district there was no flooding, although it was difficult to estimate early this afternoon whether the continuation of the rain in the back country of Central Otago to-day would cause a further rise in the river and result in the low-lying country around Balclutha being inundated.