MITCHELL'S REACH

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 295, 15 December 1942, Page 4

MITCHELL'S REACH

MORE WATER AVAILABLE COASTAL SHIPPING BENEFITS i. A further improvement has oce curred in the depth of water a\ailo able at Mitchell’s Reach between Uastlecliff and the Town Wharf, >1 with the result that vessels of a y deeper draught are able to navigate y the river channel. - This information met with much favourable comment when made s known at the monthly mee ing of the V Wanganui Harbour Board yesterday, • ■ following a report of operations i. carried out by the dredge Kaione. a Last month the dredge worked at - Mitchell's Reach when tides were suitable, said the harbourmaster, Cap- ■ tain F. G. Taylor. In an endeavour n to improve the depth of water in as short a time as possible a sysiem of 4 dragging had been tried. Actual 4 dredging was not done. e “The Kaione has traversed the reach 67 times with the draghead n down and dragging through gravel • and sand. As a result shoal places e ’ have been levelled. At present th's reach can be worked with one foot i better water than has been possible t for some time past," said Captain Tay:l lor. e “It is very gratifying to know that. 1 we have achieved something with the ! Kaione," said the chairman of the • Works Committee. Mr. G. P. Hawkins. 1 This should be good news to .-hipping companies, as vessels drawing reasonable water could navigate the river. t - “It proves that the dredge can do ? the work." said the chairman, Hon. t W. J. Rogers, who added that the . board would continue its policy of □ improving Mitchell's Reach. z Captain Taylor reported that a coastal vessel drawing llit. 6in. 2 slightly above the average, bad navi- ) gated the river Under neap tide conditions vessels drawing 10ft. could ’ navigate the river without dilliculty. ' This had not always been possible. “Not only shipping companies, but f - merchants in the city were also very . gratified to know that an improveI merit has been carried out." said Mr. F. O. Bridgeman. It would hr e cost an additional £lOO if cargo fi'cm a ■ vessel which uses the Town Wharf J were discharged at Castlecliff recent1 ly. Mr. Bridgeman also emphasised j the need for removing large snags ‘ from the bed of the river and stress- ’ ed the potential danger to ships’ pro--1 pellers. Large logs had been removed from j the river at Mitchell’s Reach, said • the engineer. Mr. R. R. Dawson. One 1 log was 60 ft.in length and anoth >r was 50ft. The exact position of other logs • would be located and an endeavour 1 made to remove them. 1 Mr. J. J. Scoit contended that the board had made a start with an im- ■ portant task and should not relax its 1 efforts till a depth of 15ft. was avail- ; able at Mitchell’s Reach. I “There is no doubt that these logs were causing sand and gravel to bank ? up." said the chairman. ’ “Now that the logs have been romoved will the scour help us to improve depths?” Mr. T. Mitchell asked. Captain Taylor replied that he did not think it would make much differ1 ence to the scour though the snags certainly held un much sari 1 and silt.