AT KARAMEA

Hokitika Guardian, 14 September 1937, Page 4

AT KARAMEA

NEW EAR ENTRANCE. AN EARTHQUAKE AFTERMATH. (Pex Press Association—Copyright). "WESTPORT, September 13. A flood in the Karamea river during the week-end has caused the improvement scheme to hear fruit mucj earlier than was expected. During Sunday the swollen river cut a channel to the sea through the old mouth a mile north of where it has been flowing into the Otamohane lageon. The new channel has a depth of 12 feet of water at high tide, which means the river is once more navigable by small coastal vessels of the size that previously traded to Karamea. Until last week-end the river had been free ire m floods for an unusually long period, and during that time the construction cf- the stop banks and training wall on the uiorth side of the river has been pushed forward with all possible speed. When this flood came the scheme wag fortunately suffi iently advanced to direct the main course of the river to the sea along the.old route.

Residents of Karamea are jubilant at what* has " occurred, and Air G. Bruce Halley, assistant-engineer to the Public Works Department, interviewed by telephone this evening, sa d that he was pleased to be afde to report that the first test the partly completed scheme had been put to had had such satisfactory results.

The 1929 earthquake, by shaking large quantities of material into the up-country reaches of the river, caused the mouth to silt up rapidly and in a short time the former channel to the sea became blocked and water began to flow south into the Otomahana lagoon. This accelerated still further the speed at which silt was deposited in that portion of the river bed near Karamea. This caused the river bottom to rise, so that every fresh resulted in the townships of Karamea and Market -Cross being flooded. Now that the river lias scoured a deep channel to the sea along its old course, and because of the new stop banks, the flood danger has practically disappeared.