THE MANAWATU RIVER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3769, 10 August 1907, Page 2

THE MANAWATU RIVER.

Navigable Channel to be Attended to. The Secretary of the local Chamber of Commerce has received the following letter from Mr John Stevens, member for the district, enclosing a copy of a letter from the Minister for Marine, Mr Stevens writes as follows:—Herewith I transmit to you a letter which I have just received from the Hon. the Minister for Marine in reply to my letter of the ist instant, together with which I forwarded your letter to me of 29th July last to the Minister, and although the Department has, for reasons set out, not adopted the method proposed for improving the channel, it is satisfactory to know that the work is to be proceeded with in such a manner as the Department’s officers believe to be effective. It may, therefore, be concluded that this important work will be put in hand without unnecessary delay.

[copy.] Marine Department, Wellington, 3/B/07. Sir, —I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the ist inst., forwarding a communication from the Secretary of the Foxton Chamber of Commerce on the subject of the condition of the navigable channel of the Manawatu River; and in reply to state that it was proposed to use marine harrows to deepen the channel, but it having been found that the only ones obtainable are too heavy for use without a large steamer to drag them, it has been decided to give a trial to another method which is often used in similar cases, and which is to attach to a flat bottom punt, drawing as little water as possible, a flat screen which can be raised or lowered to suit the depth of water to within a few inches of bottom, and fixed in a nearly vertical position at right angles to the current so as to cause an obstruction and consequent increase of velocity of current between the lower edge and the bottom of the river, the punt being secured by two anchors laid out on either bow, and slowly slacked away down stream so as to follow up the scouring action. The two anchor lines enable any position sideways to be maintained.. A plan of the apparatus is how being prepared by the Marine Engineer, and I hope to have it sent to the Harbour Master early next week with instructions to give it a trial, and from the experience with it at other similar places, it is thought that it will be successful in deepening the channel. The question of constructing protective works at Hartley’s bend to prevent the river altering its course has been considered but it is found that the cost would be too great to allow the works to be undertaken at present. J. A. Millar.