RIVER MOUTH CUT

Taranaki Daily News, 11 July 1933, Page 5

RIVER MOUTH CUT

WORK AT WAIBIAKARIRL THE COMMITTEE’S PLANS. k Christchurch, July 8. The work done' by the Waimakariri Harbour Board at the mouth of the Waimakariri River, in endeavouring to open up a cut to the sea, cannot yet be described as a failure, according to Mr. R. F. Joyce, chairman of the harbour improvement committee. He stated yesterday that the work' done was only the preparatory stages, and that there still remained much to .be done. The committee had had to contend with several difficulties. , -Mr. Joyce stated that if a deep cut were put through and the sea were ■■alm, the water from the river would flow through at the rate of half a mile an hour. The idea of the preparatory cut was to make use of the sea’s action in driving the sand from the cut in the spit into the river, where it would be washed away. When a flood was experienced in the river it would probably break through at the cut. It was not expected or intended that the water should flow through on the first day. Twenty men were engaged, but as they had only four days to put in, the had to proceed with the work on their last day, Thursday. On that day by some mistake the barrows were taken away. Two members of the board had returned at midnight together with two volunteers and worked untill 4 a.m., when the resuits were much more marked and. t e sea was sweeping . through. . Even the tide conspired against me board on its initial attempt, as it aid not comply with the nautical almanac.. It should have risen 6ft 6in, but actuary reached only sft. Meteorological conditions affected the tides either as to place or to time. . The board intended to engage more men next week, when the cut would be widened and deepened. With a wider front and depth in time of flood the chances of making a new outlet were more hopeful.