VIOLENT WATERS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 7 January 1928, Page 8

VIOLENT WATERS.

. RELEASED AT ARAPUNI. There were big happenings at Arapuui as the old year was giving place to the new when advantage was taken of the reduced loads on the power plants at Horahora and Auckland to liberate trie banked-up waters above the spillway and send them thundering down the course of the Waiteti stream in order to form a new channel and return to the main course of the Waikato below the point marked out for the new power house. All through the month of December the Arapuni dam had been causing the waters to bank up until a lake extend, ed for nearly twenty miles up the river. Just before the bells in other parts of New Zealand, were ringing in the New Year these waters commenced running over the spillway and a few hours later they were flowing over the weir to a height of about twelve inches. On past the spillway, to the head of what- is now a new cataract, the torrents fell a distance of about seventy feet to the flat country Inflow, and, forcing a now channel, turned back to the old rive relied about two and a half miles below the Arapuni dam. RESULTS SO FAR GOOD.

Officers of the Public Works Department are well satisfied with the manner in which the work of years has thu s been consummated. They had recognised that this would be one of the supreme tests of the scheme and they knew that all the ingenuity of man would be required to at first regulate and as far as possible to guide/ the rushing torrents on their way.

The officials are gratified because there has been a minimum amount of seepage through the soil above the power house and also because the new channel from the spillway to the top of the cataract has been made without undue erosion. 'Rome idea of the terrific force of the thundering waters may be gained from the fact that in one hour the quantity of spoil shifted exceeded thp quantity that was sluiced from the headrace in twelve months. It is not, of course, possible to completely guide this great natural force and no one will be surprised that instead of following the course of the Waiteti stream all the way, the torrential waters cut through a bank about thirty or forty feet high and rejoined the Waikato river some distance higher. The experts state Hint this course will be effective so long as the channel does not work its way it p wards.

As was 1o 'be expected, thorp wore •,::.ay visitors to Arapnni (luring Sunday and yesterday. They were rewarded by witnessing one of the most remarkable sights that has ever transpired in New Zealand. It was as enthralling as it was wonderful to see the waters released from the spillway charging with frenzied haste to the cataract and tumbling with a continuous roar to the flats below, tearing away trees and the growth of years and carrying rocks and boulders before them.

But for the irony of events, all would now be ready for the starting of the great power plant which is ultimately to serve Auckland, and is also to he linked up with the other major hydro-electric plants of the North Island. As events have transpired, the much,delayed power-house is now bo he erected by 1 the Public Works Department and the time estimate is eighteen months. Meanwhile a tremendous force of power awaits to be harnessed.