LOT OF SILT COMING DOWN WAITAHANUI

Taupo Times, Volume XIV, Issue 42, 1 June 1965, Page 3

LOT OF SILT COMING DOWN WAITAHANUI

/ A tremendous amount of silt was gathering in the bay near the mouth of the Waitahanui Stream, Mr G. R. White told Saturday's conference of the Federation of * JLiake Taupo angling, bOating and shooting clubs. The banks of the river v were developing into sedge and bog between 20 and 30 feet back from the river edge. Mr White was putting a remit from the Waitahanui club as follows: — "We are concerned about the depreciation in the holding pools along the Waitahanui River, caused x by consistent silting of the river bed. For example, de Latours Pool which in 1955 j * was 18ft. deep is now only j 7ft. in depth. Silting has | caused a number of pools j to practically disappear, ! % and the consequent drop in the run of fish in the river '

is giving concern to the association. . "The association requests that a team of experts from the department, including conservation officers and biologists, make an urgent Isurvey'of the district with a view to giving recommendations on how the silting problem can be alleviated and how the general run of fish in the river can be improved." Although there was an increased run in the river, ! fish were not holding in the lower pools as long as in the past said Mr P. J. Burstall, assistant conservator, Wildlife Division, Department of Internal Affairs, Rotorua. The department was going to make further investigations into The problem, he told the meeting.