HEAVY RAINS AND FLOODS

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6945, 26 June 1929, Page 3

HEAVY RAINS AND FLOODS

Oroua River Runs High SERIOUS EROSION Tempestuous rain fell in Feilding yesterday afternoon and continued on into the night making conditions most unpleasant. Rain in the backcountry has caused the Kiwi-tea stream to rise and back up. The Oroua river, at 5 o’clock was running as high as the point reached during the recent exceptional -flood. Just below the point where (he Iviwitea stream joins forces with the Oroua, serious erosion is taking place once again. Thompson’s property, which backs ou to the Oroua, has for years' been a barrier to the river’s tendency lo lind a new course and each flood has consumed much land. Since Sunday, according to a settler owning the adjoining property, something like an acre and a half of land has disappeared into the flood waters and last evening, the roaring waters were swirling into this point. For years this land ha's been subjected to erosion and many acres have been lost to the settlers on the Eeilding bank of the river, while those on the other side have increased their acreage by accretion. In spite of protection work, the Oroua continues to hammer away at the steep metal and papa bank but it lias not beeu till the recent flood that further country has been lost. The Kiwi tea stream is running very high, and was not far short of bridge level last evening. The Oroua is very swollen and the low-lying levels are under water.