DEPTH OF BAR

Grey River Argus, 16 January 1940, Page 2

DEPTH OF BAR

Past Year’s Average GOOD DESPITE UNUSUAL CONDITIONS. The average depth on the bar at the entrance to the Greymouth Harbour last year was 23 feet 4 inches, and the river 21 feet 7 inches, wmen was most satisfactory considering the unusual weather conditions experienced, in that the storms commenced in the north and finished in the soutn. The usual course cf events is for storms to go round to the southwest and finish there, and this, combined with freshes, has the benejjeia. effect of stirring up the deposits ana cleaning out the bar.

The previous year, 1938, saw record figures of 26 ft. 4 ins. (bar) ana 21 ft. 10 ins. (river) established, ana it was during this period that southwesterly weather 'was common. In 1939, the total rainfall at Greymouth was only 83.40 inches, which fell on 215 days, as compared wren 121.c0 inches which fell on 210 days in 1938, when the bar was uniformly good, in 1939, the best bar ,was on January 22, when 2* ft. 10 ins. was recoraea ai high water. The lowest during the year at high water was 16 ft. 10 inson April 12. The average for the month of January was 27 ft. and for April ,17 feet. In the course of the past 20 years the previous best to 1938 was in 1931, when the average depth was 25 ft. 6 ins. Indicating their efficient resistance, the grownes on the Blaketown beacn have been completely covered for a period of about'three months, but portions are now showing up again. The beach is at present most and when it settles down, consideration will be given to the further extension of the groynes. The groynes are aesigned to resist the littoral drift of sand and gravel from the south and on to the bar. During the past year, vessels drawing 19 feet and over have frequently worked the bar without difficulty. In 1938 the best month for bar depths was August (27 ft. 8 ins.) and the poorest was June (24 ft. 3 ins.) The average bar depth for the past 21 years has been as follows:— Year. Ft. Ins. 1919 23 6 1920 24 4 1921 22 9 1922 24 0 1923 24' 5 1924 .. 23 1 1925 22 11 1926 23 0 1927 22 5 1928 20 II 1929 24 6 1930 .21 w 1931 25 6 1932 24 0 1933 23 3 1934 23 10 1935 24 0 1936 24 I 1937 24 7 1938 26 4 1939 .. 23 4