RIVER EROSION AT MOUTOA.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4410, 4 February 1930, Page 2

RIVER EROSION AT MOUTOA.

INSPECTED BY MEMBERS OF DRAINAGE BOARD.

NEW STOP BANK DEIGNED,

-Members of the Moutoa Drainage Board inspected the serious river erosion which has taken place at Moutoa in (he vicinity of Mr. -T. Newth's house yesterday. Those who made the inspection were Messrs J. Chrystall (chairman), B. G. Gower, R. Bryant and I). Purcell. The river bank was followed through Mr. Newth’s property where most of the damage was done during last flood. Oyep a chain of land has been washed away and the river is now right in to the toe of the big bank erected a couple of years ago which is threatened with complete demolition unless something is done immediately to protect it. Hundreds of tons of earth have fallen into the river just at the rear of the cowsheds and a big crack is now apparent right through the bank which is undermined. According to Air. Newth a large portion of the complete hank will go into the river at any time now as the whole mass of the bank is top heavy. He says tons upon tons of the bank is constantly slipping into the river for a distance of several chains along the river bank bounding his property. Ah*. W. H. Smith’s property just below is also seriously threatened. His river bank boundary is planted with willows for the whole of its length, hut the river has got in behind the wil- • ws near Mr, Newth's fence line ami already a number have slipped into the river and the bank is gradually going i u the same way. Willows which fall into the river in ibis way often grow again and successfully bind the bank and I here is an excellent example of tins where the river passes through ■Mr. Malcolm Smith’s property higher up. But in this ease it appears as if. the willows will have no hope of living as they are steeped too acutely into the water. The original bank erected to pi*oIcet these two properties has now completely disappeared and where A ran across Mr. Newth’s property is now river bed.

After carefully inspecting the Ate the members of the Board decided to erect, a stop hank 90 yards in extent deviating around the acu(e angle of the river at the spot "here it threatens the old bank and joining np with the original hank at either side. It is hoped by this means to further safeguard the Moutoa in this locality but the chairman is of the opinion that -.oine kind of protective works will have to lie seriously considered if the hank is to stand for any length of time.

Just across the river from the j.oiiit of erosion are a few pinus inoignis trees, all that remain of a Inigo pine plantation which grew in tlie locality a few years ago. The river now passes right through what was once the heart of the plantation and the remaining trees are dropping one by one into the river as the erosion keeps up. A little further up the river forty acres of good land have jbeen built Up by the river increasing Mr. AV. Smith’s property at Poplar to that extent and this a matter of five years ago, was the scene of one of the worst erosions in the Moutoa.

flic point of trouble now is practically. the spot where the main cut m the Manawatu would be made if .lie Manawatu Oroua River Board’s scheme were put into operation.