Hutt River Works

Hutt News, Volume 20, Issue 16, 10 April 1946, Page 7

Hutt River Works

ANNUAL TOUR OF INSPECTION PREVENTION OF FLOODING The annual tour of inspection by members of the Hutt Valley River Board and officers of the Board — Messrs H. Sladden (engineer), C. Halford (secretary) and J. Searle (foreman) —revealed the great success of the river works which have been carried out. The correct grading of the river, the straightening of the course, and the erection of groynes and stopbanks have already done much to minimise flooding and make available quite a large area of reclaimed land. Comprehensive work is proceeding at what is known as Giesen's cuts. Here a saving of about twothirds of a mile has been made in the length of the river's course, and by dredging a more even flow is assured. It is a case of letting the river do its own job. Driftwood, which was formerly a great menace, has become something of an asset.' There is a plantation of willows where the river formerly flowed, and former boom groynes, the last of which was put in in 1931, are now buried; they are not now required. Relief of Pressure. At what is known as SteTTin's two new modern groynes have recently been, erected, and their beneficial effect in pushing over the channel of the river and easing*, the pressure lower down can be plainly seen; one would imagine that the work done in weeks was the effect of the operations of years. The river has been shifted over about a quarter of a mile, and much land that was formerly useless has been, reclaimed. Shingle from the Hutt river, dealt with by up-to-date plants, has become an important industry. Shingle from one-eighth of an inch in diameter upward, all of excellent quality and very suitable for tar sealing, concrete work, tennis courts and children's playgrounds, is turned out. Clearing Waiwhetu Stream. The party then visited the Waiwhetu Stream, where the Housing Department is carrying out the work of removing willows, the River Board paying part of the cost. Here, again, excellent work is being done. Nearby the formation of a recreation ground in White's Line East is (being carried out, and such good progress is being made that the ground should be available for sport during the coming winter. The site is an ideal one, and one could visualise a natural grandstand cut in the surrounding hillside. Finally a visit was paid to the main Hutt bridge, where the successful result of the comprehensive river works was illustrated very forcibly. Since the bridge.was built in 1932 the river level has dropped five or six feet, while since the old bridge was built in 1906 the level has dropped over eight feet. The discharging capacity of'the river has increased considerably, and there is far less danger of flooding-.