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Greymouth Evening Star, 2 March 1920, Page 6

The Christchurch City Council’s electrical engineer (Mr. E. E. Stark) has submitted an interim report on damming the Waimakarivi river for to .generate electricity to augment the municipal supply and to provide a standby plant in case of an accident to the Lake Coleridge lines. This, it was reported, would obviate the necessity for maintaining a steam generating plant. The proposal is to erect a dam from 10 to 15 chains above the Waimakarivi Gorge bridge, at a height of about *lO ft. By this dam the water can' bo diverted into a channel passing; under the railway line, and the channel can be mad© capable of carrying the minimum flow of the river, whi'-h is about 2000 cubic feet per second. The area drained by the Waimakariri river is 927 square miles. Thepresent drainage area of Lake Colreidge is 86 square miles. Mr. A. I). Dobson’s measurement of the Waimakariri river at low water for August 1899 was 1955 cubic feet, and it is estimated that 15,000 to 20,000 horse power could be generated, according to the height of the dam. This water when once diverted' from the river it is stated, can he used three or four times by subsequent power houses at intervals of five miles down the river, and still retaining the water in a canal for .irregation, water supply, or augmenting the River Avon. The report has' been adopted by the Christchurch City Council, and it is intend' ed that all the councillors shall visit the dam.