LAKE COLERIDGE.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17109, 2 April 1921, Page 9

LAKE COLERIDGE.

to tub xDiron of "the rasas." Sir, —Alns I liow littlo wo know of what greatly concerns us, and how misleading reports can bp! Tho" "Yew Book," page 4, informs kis tho aboro lake has tin aroa of 18 square miles, wliilc Mr P. S. Hay, C.E., reporting to Parliament on New Zealand' water powers, gives, tho area at 13.8 square miles. Tiio lake drains 86 square miles according to Mr Hpy, and only 70 square miles by the "ipar Book." No fafita as t&depth will giveupoeitive information ns to tiic of tho lake* and u thcvPiogress Lcaguo delegates find » shrinkage of Bft at tho lip of the rewrvoiiy tho question arises how fat can tho Inko bo supplied, taking into account that the lessened rainfall vi)} • have affcctos tho rivers which could w ■»; diverted into the lako as much as has i been noted on__tho surface of tho_ late). A% important"*question is what is tho average depth of the lake, and how may. < tho lip of tlio basin be cut down to Jet ■ f the flow escape? Tho level of tho lako, f is 1667 ft above, the sea, but if. tho M»" - rage depth of water is only a few fcet>* then pne may want to buy up kerosene lamps in caso of . To my great i Bitrprise, reading. Mr Hay's 19M report* for the first time, I concltido tho Wlttf * pojver of the Clarence, estimated at jj 100,000 brake horse-power, would B»Wr heon better than Coleridge (with. tp* % Wilberforco) 70,000. b.h.p., and that Mr < Hay estimated, Coleridgp, at 29,0w : b.h.p., to cost £700,000, while Clawncft would cost £440,000 In his notes water power Mr Hay says station PClaronc&) at .Jolliefe:?w*MUr3 be about 80 miles frofn ChnstttiQKfi. „■< and tho transmission line would MM-/ all North Canterbury. . Ihb scheme,' k ho says, ."may prove better than at , Coleridge, and if a good s&ema could ;? bo got at Opihi tho two wotild commwtd ■' all the country from Waitakl to OoJtway.—Yours, etc., • n \ WINK-WINK.