DRAINING LAKE ST. JOHN

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 727, 29 July 1929, Page 11

DRAINING LAKE ST. JOHN

FORMATION OF NEW PARK LAKE TO BE TEMPORARILY DRY Lake St. John, Remuera, has been lowered about 2ft 6in last week by the City Council engineers who are forming Waiatarua Park. Draining the lake is part of the work* necessary for the formation of the road now under construction and although the lake will shortly be emptied completely this will only be a temporary measure. The acting-city engineer, Mr. J. Tyler, said this morning that it was proposed to dry the lake out so that the marshy fringe could be drained to carry the road. It had been intended to drain the water away completely this week, but the Public Works Department asked the council to desist for the time being as the flow of water into the Orakei Basin would interfere with the construction and testing of the weir now being built in the railway embankment. At its maximum level Lake St. John covers an area of 42 acres and when the park has been completed there will be a lake 30 acres in extent. It is popularly supposed the depth of Lake St. John is vet*y great, but as a matter of fact there has only been an average of about 4ft Gin of water throughout any year.