OVERFLOW FROM THE OPAWA.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVII, Issue 162, 13 July 1903, Page 2

OVERFLOW FROM THE OPAWA.

What is happily a rare sight here now wak witnessed yesterday—flood-water on the wrong side of the river banks. An exceptionally heavy rainfall up country flooded the rivers to such an extent that it found oat a weak spot in the defences, and the result has been the intmdation of a certain area of land.

The overflow occurred behind Mr Dalziel's farm, on the Old Ren wick Road, and the North Ward has been the chief repository of the surfeit water. Having escaped from the ordinary bounds, the water came down the Renwick Road across a consider" able area of farm land, and flooded the Grove Road. The Dillon's Point district has a!se suffered, and in that locality a number of sheep were drowned. This is the area principally affected, the main portion of the town being adequately protected by the banking and the relief afforded by the Opawa Overflow. That channel, along which a great volume of water raced out in a direct line to the sea, pre sented an impressive sight.

The rivers in town were almost bank high, but the Overflow safety-valve effectually kept them down below the danger point. Several houses in the Grove Road locality were visited by the undesirable element, and the residents were subjected to much discomfort. The bank at the bottom of Grove Road was topped, but «verflows were stopped by volunteers who turned out and stemmed the tide with shovels at critical places.

The flood extended up to the Alfred Street bridge, and the railway station and wharves were isolated. A quantity of produce on the wharves was damaged.

The flood was, it is understood, almost entirely an Opawa visitation, thought it is stated that the Fairhall River is responsible for not a small contribution. It is reported that a considerable area has been flooded in the Fairhall district. The Taylor river did not give much trouble.

A good deal of damage has been done on some of the farms in the vicinity of the town, and the general wetness has necessitated re-sowing in many cases ; but the flood, coming as it does at this time of the year, is not of a serious destructive character.

There has also been a heavy downpour in the Spring Creek and Tua Marina districts. The former is flooded here and there, and the latter, it is reported, suffers to a worse extent.

Three years all but three months have elapsed since the previous flood.