Farmers Alarmed At River Silting

Northern Advocate, 6 September 1947, Page 8

Farmers Alarmed At River Silting

Silting up of the Northern Wairoa River at Bradley’s landing is becoming a menace and is alarming farmers whose lands run down to the river’s banks, according to a recent report. Bradley’s landing, off the Mititai Wharf, is near Awakino Point, at Aoroa in the Upper Wairoa area.

In the vicinity of Awakino Point the silting up is reported' to have extended to 10 chains into the river and caused the loss of a waterway. The silting in certain portions of the river is estimated to be at the rate of a foot a year. One farmer said that the effect of the silting was that tide and flood water took a greater length of time to run off the properties fronting the river, thus causing damage to pastures. If a dry spell should follow a high flood which caused large areas to become inundated, there would be a substantial loss to production because of silt remaining on the ground.

There was also the menace of the grass-grub following these floods, as occurred in the Northern Wairoa in 1917, the farmer said. TOWNSHIP AFFECTED The business area of Dargaville was also concerned with this silting of the river. If the flood water was remaining longer or certain properties, a similar position could exist—if not already doing so—whereby flood water would take longer to subside at Dargaville. As a result of a recent discussion by the Upper Wairoa branch of Federated Farmers a decision was made to seek the support of other branches in the district in an endeavour to formulate a plan of action in dealing with the river silting' problem.