GRAVE FLOOD LEGACY

Evening Star, Issue 23696, 2 October 1940, Page 5

GRAVE FLOOD LEGACY

POTENTIAL OF FUTURE DISASTER 70-YARD BREACH IN TAIERI BANK 5,000 ACRES THREATENED WITH 5-FOOT RISE Dangerous legacy of the May flood, a huge gap some 70yds wide in the east bank of the Taieri River, 300yds below the railway bridge at Riverside, presents-a potential source of disaster to the area of upwards of 5,000 acres of flat' land that backs it. Should the Taieri flow rise a scant sft in this narrow gut, through which it pours —which is not beyond the realms of possibility at any time of the year—flood waters would surge again over the land so recently vacated. In the opinion of farmers in this vicinity of East Taieri. it needs a huge concrete hank to stem hack the waters from encroachment in times when danger would threaten. Properly constructed, it could cost not less than £2,000. But—and this is the crux of the matter —it would prevent the ravaging of all that vast area enclosed in a rough segment of a circle from Wylie’s Crossing to Allantou, hy way of tho outlying districts of Mosgiel, to the break. Torn out of the cast at the same time ns the west stop-hank hurst before tho flood waters, the huge rent undoubtedly was the means of saving Outram from being inundated at the height of the visitation. Now it is a menace meriting urgent attention. Government officials, including the Hon. F. Jones,

have inspected the break, but to date the Minister of Public Works (Hon. K. Semple) has not arrived. From the original line of the Taieri flow, an urea of an acre has been gouged deeply back, and the spoil borne by the released torrent deposited in a live-acre gravel and sand bank, rising to 4ft 6in in height. In all some 20 acres have been rendered useless by silt deposits in the immediate vicinity. Another danger attendant upon a rise in the Taieri would be that, once embarked upon its new trail, the river might continue upon this course, gouging out for itself a new bed along the lowest lines of terrain. This is an eventuality tha't neighbouring farmers dread; for they are assured that this is no flight of fancy, but a possibility by no moans remote if another flood struck suddenly. Roughly, the river would run directly back towards Mosgiel for half a mile or so, and then would take a wide sweep in a semicircle, then running directly down on Allanton to its present hod. CAUSE OF THE BREAK. Something of a unique explanation of the cause of the break was given by a farmer interviewed by the 1 Star.’ ft arose, he averred, from rivalry between farmers on the east and west banks. When one built up the stopbank to a few foot, so a.s to prevent the river rising into a property, another retaliated by one on the other bank that was a foot or two higher. Tims the race wont on, hut neither stop-hank apparently had been suflicient to hold the material forces unleashed under flood conditions. Had early farmers along the Taieri concentrated their energies upon cutting a direct passage for the river to its lower reaches, floods would have been largely obviated. lie considered. However, early landholders had not had the foresight to consent to losing small portions of their land so ns to permit this scheme to he carried out, and had since paid the penalty of periodic inva-

sions, averaging about 12 years between them.

This gap, then is the danger spot of the whole circuitous length of the Taieri river. There is a smaller break on the west side, which caused some anxious moments to Outram and surrounding districts at mid-flood. But this i-s comparatively a minor breach, lacking the immense potentialities of its eastern neighbour. It needs only extensive rain in the back country to cause grave anxiety to East Taieri residents; such can never be allayed until the 70yd breach has been filled to ensure safety.