CLUTHA LEVEL FALLING

Evening Star, Issue 25928, 21 October 1946, Page 6

CLUTHA LEVEL FALLING

BUT THREAT STILL SERIOUS RESIDENTS MAINTAIN PATROLS SMALL RISE EXPEGTED TO-NIGHT After a week-end of anxiety, when farmers, Public Works Department employees, and other residents of the district who volun- , teered their services maintained a constant patrol of the river banks, the threat of serious flooding in the Balclutha district is not now so menacing as it was on Saturday. At noon to-day the position remained serious, but it was not so alarming. Several minor alarms have been given dur- ; ing the last 48 hours, but quick and efficient work by all concerned, under the direction of the River Trust’s engineers, forestalled any serious consequences. Although, the river at the Balclutha traffic bridge has 'dropped 16in from its peak level last Friday night, a sharp but small rise is expected later to-day from rain and snow waters from up country. The extent of the rise could not be accurately gauged this morning, but if was not expected to be sufficient to bring the river level to the peak touched on Friday. The extra water is expected to come from streams and ancillary rivers feeding the Clutlia between Balclutha a,nd Roxburgh. FALL AT ALEXANDRA. Encouraging reports were received from- Alexandra this morning, which did much to hearten the weary patrollers on the river banks around Balclutha and Stirling. The level at the Central Otago township is a gauge • to Balclutha flooding, and a rise or fall at Alexandra is reflected several hours later at the lower point. At mid-morning the Alexandra level was 21fft, a drop of 9in on last night’s reading and a fall of more than sft - from the peak level, and at noon it was confirmed that the river was still falling slowly. Both the lakes, Wanaka and Wakatipu, have fallen also. Queenstown reported a level of B|ft, a drop of 6in from the highest point touched, while Wanaka has also fallen below its peak, off 101 ft 3in. Both lakes remain at. almost twice their normal registration, however, and a sudden back-country thaw would bring fresh complications, From all up-country centres near the Kawarau or Molyneux come reports that the river is running clearer with little, if any, debris being carried down. hundreds of helpers." The willing co-operation of hundreds of volunteers from all parts of the district helped to avert what: would certainly have been a flood of serious proportions in the low--lying river delta area of Ciutha. , Some of them worked up to 36 hours at a stretch, often in the flood Water, and during the hours of darkness. The men came already organised as parties under their own leaders. Wherever major working gangs were directed headquarters were established nearby and a close touch kept with the controlling engineers. Some of the Public Works Department employees, whose work ; was highly praised by, officers ,of the River Trust,' were; to hire been withdrawn .yesterday, but, iu view of the serious threat still existing, they were left on the job. Continuous patrols were maintained on the river banks last night, aiid to-day, moist of' which were performed on foot, but the hard, slogging, wet work had its own reward. Men came from up to 50 miles away in response to the appeals for help. DANGER POINTS. On two occasions yesterday special alarms were sounded. At one stage the water seepage at Finegand > became, greater than could be’coped with, and an additional party was sent out. : A threat at Willocks’s Lagoon, at the v top of Inch Ciutha, was averted when swift' work bolstered the existing bauk, and as a precaution the working gang laid a secondary protective system on the higher ground. Only one imminent threat was reported this morning, an ominous bulge developing near Mr J. F. Bell’s residence at Inch Ciutha. Last night a gang was working on a weak spot there, but the >vork was not sufficient to. hold the mounting waters, and an additional stop bank was rushed up to-day in an attempt to isolate the waters in the bulge. This was reported to be the most dangerous point today. - ■