The Silting Question

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4487, 11 November 1909, Page 3

The Silting Question

LETTER TO MINISTER OF MARINE

At the Piako Comity Counoil meeting 1 the Chairman read the following letter, ■which bad been forwarded to the Minister for Marine on the much vexed silting question:— " Sir,—l have the honor, by direction of the Piako County Council, to represent to you the grave injury which is being done to the Waihou and Ohinemuri rivers, and to a large portion of the country in the Talley of the Thames by the deposit of tailings from the mines at Waihi and Karangahake in the Ohinemuri river. The mischief is aggravated by the willows which grow on the banks of both rivers, causing an obstruction to the free current of flood water, and also forming a bed of ■ilt in the river itself. There is no doubt, however, that the deposit of tailings in the river is filling, and for a long time has been filling up the channels of these rivers, so much so as t* render it impos • eible for steamers now to run up to landing places which they easily reached only a few years ago. The mischief done to thw river navigation seems to be at its worst at the junction of the Waihou and Ohinemuri nyers. Owing to the action of the tide in backing up the flow of water in the rivers, an island of silt, conapparently of tailings, has been formed in the Waihou river just above the junction; a few willows have taken root there, and are growing, and of course the fibrous mass of roots are helping to consolidate the island which is now being formed, and if nothing is dene to abate the nuisance the result will be that the Waihou river will in all probability break Over its left bank and run over the plain, forming a broad shallow river bed with shifting channels, thereby bringing devastation upon the large tracts of land which in the ordinary course of things would soon have become some of the richest grazing country in the Dominion; and it will cease to be a navigable river, The damage done by the deposit of silt in the river beds is continuous and increasing. In the opinion of the Council it is not a mere question of to-day, or of compensation to land owners; it is really a national question affecting posterity far more than it affects the people of the present day. Individual land owners might perhaps be compensated for damage done to their property, but no compensation could possibly repay the nation for such devastation of its territory, and the filling up of its navigable rivers.

As the trouble was primarly caused by the action of the Government in setting apart these rivers as watercourses for the discharge of tailings, etc. it must naturally follow that a responsibility rests upon the Government to take such steps as may be necessary to prevent the devastation of territory and the blocking of navigable rivers, which could not ihave occured but for the action of tne Government above mentioned. The Piako County Council therefore requests the Government to devise means for the destruction of the willows on the banks of the Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers, and for keeping the river clear for navigation by means of dredging or some other method. The Council would further suggest that it be made unlawful for any person to plant trees on the banks of navigable rivers.