TROUBLE AT ARAPUNI.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 219, 12 January 1928, Page 1

TROUBLE AT ARAPUNI.

WAIKATO’S NEW COURSE. Into Brandon’s Pod. (By our Special Correspondent). PUTARURU, Monday. The Arapuni development scheme presents a wonderful sight, more especially to those who are privileged to view the operations connected with the diversion of the river at frequent intervals. When the waters were diverted over the spillway it was more or less in the lap of the gods as to what would happen. It was hoped the mighty Waikato would carve for itself a new course along the bed of the Waikato stream joining the previous river-bed some hundreds of yards below Brandon’s Pool. Some little attempt was made to assist the river in keeping r.ear to this line by scooping various channels and by building breastworks. Like various idea of mice and men, however, this scheme went agley. With less speed there might have been more haste, but in an effort to fulfil the hopeless edict of Wellington power in eighteen months—the flood was let loose. Instead of keeping the gates partially open and so controlling portion of the rive> down its new course, in an effort to get things done quickly, other things have become undone. The river let loose too suddenly on a flat of pure sand, the vagaries of which under the pressure of a mighty river even the best of engineers could not forsee, has turned sharply to the right and entered its previous course right at the mouth of Brandon’s poof. A submerged forest, some 800 to 1000 years old, and consisting of rimu, totara and white pine, became exposed at the foot of rushing falls, and r.o doubt materially assisted in urging the river from the course it was expected to take.

This unforseen development will undoubtedly present a new problem. As mentioned exclusively in the Press when the terms of settlement with the contractors was discussed, the deepening of Brandon’s pool—a tremendous job—has been quietly ignored. The contract provides for the lowering of the riverbed from Brandon’s pool up to the power-house site by 25 feet. This is to enable the waters from the penstocks to get away so that the turbines may function properly. Though this was part of the original contract, the contractors were allowed to dump 93,000 cubic yards of rock and debris at the top of this stretch, the bulk of which spoil undoubtedly lies in this area, and will have to be removed by the Public Works Department. To further complicate mat- 1 ters, the river having swung to the j right has deposited thousands of tons of sand and rubble at the mouth of Brandon’s pool, forming a bar across the outlet which nearly reaches to the opposite hank. To keep this narrow portion clear the tunnel gates were opened slightly during the pastweek end and water allowed to trickle down the old course. All ihis trouble has hacked the water up at the powerh house site a further foot, and this portion of the riverbed instead of being dry as was expected, and in a state to allow work to be started on j the power-house site, is now in a ■ much worse position than before. On I the face of it, it looks as if the only solution is the construction of a water-tight steel coffer-dam around the power-house site so that this area may be pumped dry. According to the chief engineer of the Public Works Department the trouble at Horahora would have been avoided had the original contract been carried out in its entirety. This may be so, but it does not answer the question at issue. The contract was not completed, and this fact in no way absolves the Department from the mess in which affairs are now in. With fewer bosses, and more responsibility, it is not too much to say that the disorganisation both at Arapuni and Horahora would have been avoided. The position is inter-, esting, and the future measures taken by Mr. Furkert to substantiate his claim will be watched with interest by the public at large. ' ' ' ‘ ''' I .

DEBRIS FROM ARAPUNI. Will it Affect the Lower Reaches? The Waikato river in its normal flow carries down to the lower reaches some two million cubic yards of sand annually. The greater part of this goes out to sea, but some remains to build up sand banks and islands. It has been estimated, however, that during the past three or four days the water running in its new course over the Arapuni dam has carried out three and a-half million yards, or as much as would be shifted in twenty-one months in ordinary circumstances, and there is apparently a huge amount still likely to come. It will be interesting to see what effect this debris will have on the lower Waikato when it gets down here. The attenuated river resulting from the long drought will be wholly unable to carry it, and though it is quite likely that a big flood will follow the drought, January and February being the months generally chosen by the river to show what it can do in that direction, a flood would probably not remove the expected trouble, but perhaps accentuate it by bringing down still greater supplies of pumice sand and dropping it in the last few miles of the river-bed, where the hydraulic plane is almost flat, and the pace of the current consequently lessened. It will be a great misfortune if further drainage troubles beset the reclaimed lands, which have already suffered severely owing to th groynes which obstruct the river’s course. But to give the river nearly two years’ supply of debris to cope with at one gulp appears to be forcing on it a task beyond its powers, and may result in serious complications.—Franklin Times.