FLOOD FALLS SLOWLY

Evening Star, Issue 25927, 19 October 1946, Page 6

FLOOD FALLS SLOWLY

PEAK REACHED LAST NIGHT RIVER BANKS STILL HOLDING SANDBAGGING PROVES EFFECTIVE f _____ Anxiety for the safety of properties along the lower banks of the Clutha River, which was at a high pitch throughout yesterday.as a result of the rapid rise of. the river fed by the melting snow in the Central Otago district, was allayed somewhat in the early hours of this morning. The riveT reached its peak at Balclutha about midnight and thereafter a slow fall in the level was noticeable. Reports from Alexandra about midday indicated a further improvement in the conditions. The river had fallen about two feet there and the level .of Lake Wakatipu was down about 3in. Lake Wanaka was still very, high, but some of the tributary rivers had dropped considerably. Improvements were expected as the weather at Alexandra this morning was fine with a tendency towards a southerly change. Nearly all the snow had disappeared from the high country,, and although there was a light skiff during the night, it was not sufficient to cause any concern. DANGER SPOTS PATROLLED. Reports from. Balclutha were more reassuring this morning. All the banks had held, though some were still soft, and the river had fallen since the, peak reading about midnight. Throughout the night and this morning teams of voluntary workers patrolled the danger spots and toiled with sandbags to prevent a break-through which would have meant enormous loss, if. not disaster, for landowners in the vicinity.. It is expected that the river will fall slowly, and that it will remain at a high level for some considerable time. This will place a severe strain on the Viqttltq SANDBAGS USED. Over 20,000 sandbags were placed at threatened points along the banks yesterday. Nearly 300 voluntary workers from Balclutha and adjacent farm lands were engaged on the wearying task of filling the bags and placing, them in position.- Trucks belonging to the Public Works Department, the Bruce and Clutha County Councils, and the River Trust were used to transport bags .to danger areas.. In addition, many horse-drawn vehicles were also brought into use. In many areas these vehicles had to negotiate flooded roads. At Inch Clutha the water had overflowed the normal channel, and was several feet deep up to the point where it was stopped by the flood bank. At the Hermitage, on the Balclutha-Stirling road, conditions were also serious, ana the old bridge at Stirling was moving slightly with the waters swirling round the piles. The stop hanks along the StirlingKaitangata road had to be sandbagged yesterday. Three small breaks under a yard in width were dealt with with at the second bend of the Matau branch. On the Koau branch the waters rose until they were halfway up the walls of the engine house of the dragline used By the Clutha County Council to secure gravel from the bed of the river. The .nearby branch line from the railway station above was five feet under water. Further sandbagging' was necessary where the Waiter peka canal joins the'Koau branch. ROADS STILL BLOCKED. The latest reports received by the Automobile Association of Otago indicate., that the roads between Tarras and the Lindis Pass and over the Crown Range had been blocked. Flood waters also covered the road from Balclutha to Olydevale in addition to the Balclutha, Stirling, and Kait'angata roads. The road between Balclutha. and Kaka Point via Otanomomo was impassable, and motorists were advised to take a detour through (Romahapa.. Roads above Wanaka, in the Kawaraii Gorge, and on the KingstonQueenstown highway were seriously scoured, and for this reason, and because of the high state of some of the creeks, motorists will require to exercise caution. ,