RIVER PROTECTION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 245, 31 January 1921, Page 6

RIVER PROTECTION.

EFFECTIVE WORK AT OTAR I

Recently a “.Standard’’ representative visited the river south of the Utaki, traffic bridge and viewed the protective work done bv Mr F. J. Ryder, and also saw similar w (o rk in course' of erection, now being carried out by the same gentleman. It was apparent, a I first glance that, the'river had been making inroads 'into valuable land, dtie; to a largo measure, to groynes being’ bnilr ineffectively. The first;-groyne that came under observation, and now a com -plete wreck, is as a large one designed hj prominent engineers, and carried out by workmen of the old Maliawlitu Railway Company. 1 to the order of Mr ’Arehihah Mall, many years ago. file groyne had stood for years, but il was predicted by many that it would ultimately Collapse, am collapse it did. due it is stated by competent judges, because it Was built up stream Although the work must have cost hundred. 1 ' of pounds, to-day it. is useless, and Mi R,V-der. who has had very wide experience, eliiims the groyne was carried away because it. was built the. wrong way. The water was inclined towards the butt of I he groyne, and with continuous swirls, gradually worked its way to the rear, and underneath. Messrs Monckton and Sevan also erected groynes in a similar way, and both luu> hee'n washed away, Mr Ryder, who built one groyne in a similar way, had a like, experience, and for the.benefit of those who are new to river work ho advocates that all grovnes should he built with the nose down die'river, lie is using tho remains of the old groyne as the nose for the new one Inis wire with a two-foot mesh which ibeing filled with mncracarpa branches, and tanks of boulders. /The netting will he fastened and everything made secure, while tin* nose of the groyne will he of 6in mesh, and this Mr Ryder contends will stand die force of the river, especially as the slope is down stream. At the back of the groyne willows have been planted,- and already many have proved their worth by diverting water from tho banks', and thus have saved valuable land. Generally, the groynes are only one boulder deep jft- tin nose, and as the river leaves the hank amt deepens itself this style of groyne becomes \ery effective, in fact such groynes an looked upon as the best, possible. Mi Ryder proved to the writer that 'where he had inserted groynes splendid work had been accomplished. He has lived almost ah bis life on the banks of rivers, lias math almost a life study of them, has had main up and-downs in his work, hut. above nil. has profited largely by Ids experiences, h was due to his foresight that much of Inland has been saved, in past years, and il. owners of river property .will follow hr example there will be Jess, cause for worry and far more land saved. Mr Ryder is eve, ready to show the proof of his work, and k give the best advice, which, no doubt, is valuable, h is our representatives intern lion, at a. later date, to, again view the worlc when he will be able to report, favour ably or adversely, on the work now being done.