IMPROVING THE AVON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17206, 28 June 1916, Page 10

IMPROVING THE AVON.

WORK TO BE STARTED SOON

FIRST DAM NEAR ANTIGUA STREET.

The recommendations of the engineers for the improvement of the Avon for boating have been adopted by the City Council and' the Drainage Board, and the work of dealing with the upper reaches, from the Hospital grounds upwards, will be undertaken by the City Council scon, Tho improvement of the lower reaches from Fitzgerald Avenue towards the sea- will entail considerable dredging, at a cost of some thousands of pound's, and there is not enough money in hand for that purpose. Tho Mayor gave a reporter an assurance yesterday that the work would bo started soon. It was proposed, he said, to start with one weir near the Hospital to see whfljfc its effect would be on the boating, aiftl also to see whe trier improvements could be made in tho later weirs. “Is it too much to expect that the weir will be ready for next boating season?- ’ Mr Holland, was asked. “ No,” ho replied. “lb is not too much to expect. The work is not at all difficult.”

In a discussion as to tho probable site, of the weir, Air Holland stated that the report, recommended a site near Antigua Street, and lie was afraid that this would leave otie of the existing boatsheds in an tin fortunate position. He wanted to have a conference with the engineers to see if it would be possible to nut a weir near .the Hereford Street Bridge, to allow boating through the city. He would even like to see the boating go as far down as tho Colombo Street Bridge, but tbero were some difficult narrow.places on the way, and the fall was .-considerable..- Any ; departure from the. original-report could only be made with the consent of the Drainage Board, but he was. very keen on having boating in tho city proper. Scores of people who did not derive any pleasure from boating would bo glad to see boaters in the river. There was a beautiful stretch of water from. Hereford Street to the Hospital, with only one shingle bank in it, and it seemed to him that if the water could be banked up about nine inches or a foot at Hereford Street it would allow the shingle bank to be removed, and tho raising of tho level would only bring the river to its original level, and would not affect any neighbouring cellars. Ho thought it would be one of the great attractions to the city to see ladies in their summer boating dressoS boating through the city. The expense of providing tho extra weir would bo small, and lie hud no doubt that the generosity of the public could be relied on to meet the expense. HIGHER. WATER LEVEL IN CITY MAY BE COSTLY. Air E. Cutlibcrt, the '.Drainage Board’s engineer, who was seen in regard' to the possibility of a dam at Hereford Street Bridge, said that when the old mill dam had been there it had caused a good deal of dissatisfaction, and when it. was removed' the water had dropped considerably in some holes that had been bored to ascertain the effect. While not denying that boating would be an attraction in the heart of tho city. Air Cutlibcrt said that the. raising of tho water level might load to a good deal of litigation. POSITION OF THE DAMS. Air A. D. Dobson, tho city engineer, was good enough to explain the plans upon which the engineers had worked. Ho said that, Fitzgerald Avenue, at tho highest, was tho limit of tidal effect in the river, and below that it would be necessary to dredge. He presumed that any improvement for the present would embrace only the upper reaches. The first dam Mould be loin high, near Antigua Street, possibly below the Antigua boatsheds. The second, 18in high, would bo below tlie Riccarton drain, by the Big Bend, and the third, 21in high, would bo thicequarters of a mile or so further up. opposite A r ietoria Lake. That would hold the water up as far as Carlton Bridge. ____