Manawatu Herald SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 1923. THE RIVER AND PORT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2535, 27 January 1923, Page 2

Manawatu Herald SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 1923. THE RIVER AND PORT.

BRIEF mention is made in the chairman of the local Harbour Board’s report to the much discussed overflow channel which is to provide a quick get away for the Hood waters of the Manawatu from the lower reaches of this, sluggish river. The Board is vitally interested as is the newly-formed Manawa-tu-Oroua Drainage Board, in the release of I he flood wafers. The former is concerned with the effect of the cut on the depth of water in the river channel .to the wharf while the latter is working out a scheme for the protection of thousands of acres of fertile land against inundation and consequent loss to the district and State. The first; part of the proposed “cut” is from Walden’s corner at Marotiri to come out at or near Nve’s mill. To leave it at that however, would be futile as the released water from higher up would not get a quick release on again entering the river but would cause a blockage and still retain the water at a high level, lhe solu-

tion, then, is the continuation of the cut: through the Matakarapa swamp, thus affording a quick get away and as a natural consequence tlie scouring of the bar. Tims the complete cut would serve a double and vitally important service. ' The Board’s problem is to ascertain what effect the cut would have on the utility of the present wharf. The whole scheme, which must be faced sooner or later, will require the skill of an experienced engineer to solve. In this connection both bodies could act in unison and we believe a conference will be held in the near future when the preliminaries to what will prove to be the most important work concerning the welfare of this district and port will be discussed.