A GRAVEL INVASION

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 13118, 29 October 1906, Page 5

A GRAVEL INVASION

The Timaru Borough Council, as lessees and guardians of Caroline Bay, in the public interest -have spent some thousands of pounds to make it- more pleasant and convenient as a holiday, and especially as a sea-bathing, resort. It is therefore all the more aggravating to notice the mischief that has already been caused by the drift of gravel over the sands from Waimataitai spit, and it is to be hoped that some means will be found of restoring the beach to good order and preventing a recurrence of the mischief. At many points along the English . coaists it has been found necessary to check the travel of gravel beaches, which has been done by means of timber groins. The means found effective at Home would no doubt answer equally well here. Several suggestions have been -submitted to us, and we commend than to the consideration of the Borough Council, not- necessarily for the adoption of any of them, Tout as hints for the inquiry that ought to ifoe made as the preliminary te prompt action. One suggestion is that a rubble groin should be thrown out across the line of beach, from the northern end of the Benvenue cliff, bo as to confine the YVaimataitai -spit- material where it properly belongs. Ak the seas which.reach that point are -sometimes heavy, a groin of timber would not stand long; it would ibave to be made of heavy rubble, and that would make It A second suggestion is that a timber groin should be -made across the beach where ■either the Beverley or tfhe Whale's Creek drain now reaches the sea, the groin to be raised from time to "time if' necessary, "by adding planking to piles left high enough in. the first instance 'for that purpose. An alternative .to a timber groin, and probably a much cheaper, would be the use of a -wire-netting ; ga"bion, filled with stones, such as are jacrw used with good effect in the controlling of creeks and rivers, successive -.ga'foions "being -added from" time to time as "the trapping capacity of each became exhausted. The quantity of shingle to be finally trapped being unknown, it would wise to give up the larger rather than the -smaller portion of the ban eh above indicated for its accumuj lation. Whatever be the means the Borough CctmclL may choose to -adopt" after Idue inquiry, there can he no question ■that something should be done, and at