TAIERI-WAIPORI RIVERS COMMISSION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16916, 31 January 1917, Page 3

TAIERI-WAIPORI RIVERS COMMISSION.

Tlio Eoyal Commission (Messrs J. B. Thompson, U. H. Vickerman, and Ashley Hunter) set up to inquire into (a) the causes of tho silting up and flooding of the Waipori and Taieri Rivers; (b) tno best means ot romedying same; (c) tho damage dono to lands adjacent to sajd rivers; and (d) tho allocation oi costs of remedial measures, sat at Henley last Tnursday. The Cierk of .the Taieri County Council wrote stating that the matter of tho silting up of the Waipori River" and Waipori Lako was tho subject of a, conference last April, at.the invitation of tho Western Taieri Land Drainage Board, between representatives of tho board, tho Dunedin City Council, and the Bruce and Taieri County Councils. As an outcome of the conference the Taieri County Council passed the following resolution: "That, unless the Government undertakes to carry out its scheme lor improvement to tho Waipori, River and Lake without coat to West Taieri ratepayers, this council cease to lend its support to the scheme."—Tho commission decided merely to acknowledge receipt of tho letter. David DoulL farmer, Henley, being in bad health, forwarded a letter .to the commission expressing his views. The writer was coniident that the silting-up of both rivers was due to mining operations. The contour channel constructed by tho Western Taieri Land Drainago Board had not been a success for the reason that its only outlet had been left partially blocked. He thought tho cost of remedial measures should bo spread over tho whole district

. J. T. Gibson, farmer, Otokia, and chairman of the Western Taieri Land Drainago Board, gave evidence. He said that in his experience as a farmer the chief source of trouble was floods from the Maungatua hills. Thousands of pounds had been spent on the contour channel. Tho whole safety of the lower end of the Taieri Plain de-. pended upon the efficiency of the contour channel. The silting of Waipori Lake through its outlets into the main river affected egress from the contour channel. If the silting-up process continued the contour channel would in a few years become inoperative. All that the board had_ done depended upon whether they still retained tho outlet through Waipori Lake. The outlet was blocked up, and the contour channel would not operate. It was significant that in the new year holidays, when mining ceased, tho Taieri River was clear. At midwinter also, when mining operations were suspended, the_ river' was clear. Twenty years ago, opposite his place at Otokia, just above the traffic bridge, tho river was 12ft deep. Now the river was only 6ft deep at low tide. As far as floods were concerned, he thought' , the banks of the river were too close together in many instances. He would not be averse to tho setting back of the banks. Over £100,000 had been spent *in embankments and drainago operations. The rates were very heavy, and the settlers could not stand much more.

R. A. Kempshell, farmer, Maungatua, stated that he knew the Waipori River when it was clear. It was very dirty now. In the early days a punt used to take a load of sleepers down the river. To-day it was not possible to take a flat-bottomed boat down the river. Waipori River was declared a sludge channel, and the dirt came down. On Berwick Flat formerly the farmers could plough, sow, and reap the land. To-day they dare not use a plough upon it. He would not swear that the cause was mining operations. Very few settlers got compensation when the. Waipori River was declared a sludge channel. Tho settlers did not want compensation. They wanted the state of the river remedied.

W. G. Reid, farmer, Henley, eaid that he had resided at Henley all his life. When he was a boy the Taieri River was much clearer than it was at present. There was a great deal of silt in it now. At holiday time the river brightened considerably. Witness was contractor for the repair of the embankments burst by the Taieri River flood in 1908. At that time the river seemed pinched above its capacity right down its course through the Taieri Plain. L. D. Beer, farmer, Henley, deposed that he had been interested in mining at Kyeburn for 30 years, and was still interested in it. He thought the silting-up of tho Taieri River was attributable to material dislodged by mining many years ago. Much of the silt went out to sea. If willows did not obstruct the river the greater part of the silt would find its way to the sea. The miners deposited their debris from one paddock into the other adjoining. He was surprised to hear that the Taieri River was not a sludge channel. In present-day mining operations the silt arid finer material ran buck into tho paddock. ; Amos M'Kegg,-licensed victualler, Henley, said ho saw the effects of the 1908 flood. It took months to get the water off the plana by pumps and traction engines: He thought the stopbanks of the Taieri River were too close. His father had told him the river was 20ft deep. Mow it was only 10ft deep. He attributed the silting to mining operations and cultivation. The last cutter to cross the bar at Taieri Mouth brought a cargo of guano from Ureen Island. It would be risky now to cross the bar ia a boat drawing more than 6ft or Bft.

At Berwick, on Friday, .Alex. Hamilton (labourer, Berwick), said he had lived in the district for 50 years. The river was then clear and deep. ,They used to run down rafts with timber, the rafts drawing throe feet. Tho timber came from the bush at Mill Creek. ■ The creek had now filled up. Tho river got bad when people started looking for gold about 50 years ago. It was over 40 years ago since it became a nuisance. There were floods before that Ine iioods in those days did not do the harm they do now. The silting had made the floods 'worse. A sort of grit came down now. They used to raft a lot across Waipori Lake. Ho had to sell out owing to the damage caused by silting. The sill came from the diggings. Much more silt had come down since the weir was put up.

William Petrie (wagoner, Berwick) said his lather had land before him on the Waipori. It was a, big stream in the early days, both as regards width and depth Uno could take goods up to Berwick in a good-sized boat. He attributed the trouble to the silting-up, which had taken place since -mining started. Tho weir had not improved matters. He did not think the miners could do anything to prevent the silt coming down. Silt would como down if the mining was stopped. YNaihola. Lake had.silted up considerably. liudolph Summers (labourer, Berwick) Anthony John Wither (sheep farmer Berl wick) H. T. Jeftree (farmer, Clarendon), J. A. Shennan (farmer, Berwick), E Smith (storekeeper, Henley), J, M. Thomson (farmer Henley), J. Wither-(sheep'farmer Berwick), and E. M'LcnLnan (farmer Berwick) also gave evidence. ' The commission sat at Dunedin yesterday. •- - .M. C. Henderson, city engineer, said he had known the Waipori itiver for 10 years He did not think much silt fell into the river from the hillsides. Very little silt went down the river from. tho country below the weir Lake Luella caught the silt that camo down the Pioneer Greek which met the main river above the weir. He produced a plan, showing the discharge from the Waipori River t , ?• -S" M ' Curdie > city engineer, said Lake Luella caught a good deal of the silt that came down the Waipori Kiver In tho Waipori the silt was not all due to mining. The Silvcrstrcam sometimes brought down so much gravel that it filled un the dam. Lako Luella was now being raised to increase its capacity. The silting in tho Taicri River was no doubt augmented by tho mining. He considered it was more sensible to provide for occasional floods than to try to provent them altogether. The people had- been very injudicious in keeping the banks so close to the river. As much silt came down the laien from natural causes as cam c down the Waipon Witness supplied the following particulars of tho dams on the Upper Waipori River:—Lako Luella present area 142 acres, capacity 104 500 000 cubic feet; proposed increase in height 20ft which would make the total area 325 acres' and the capacity 305,000,000 cubic feet Loch' Loudon: Area 46 acres, capacity 43,500 000 cubic feet, woi r capacity 6,500,000 cubic feet maximum run-off at weir 5500 oußjc feet persecond. The catchment above the weir was 106 squaro miles. The commission will sit in Dunedin a<*ain to-day.