WAITARA HARBOR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 18, 9 June 1914, Page 6

WAITARA HARBOR.

PROPOSED IMPROVEMENT SCHEME. At a special meeting of the Waitara Harbor Hoard last week, the report submitted by Mr Vickcrman in regard to improving liie harbor entrance and river so as to facilitate navigation, was adopted, and it was resolved to obtain a plan from Mr Vickcrman to accompany the report for submission to Parliament. The report first discussed the conditions at the river mouth and stated that if funds were available it would bo best to now construct the two external breakwater walls 16H0 feel and 1500 feet long, ending respectively, in 12 feet and 9 feet low water spring tides, as suggested in 187!) by Sir .'John Ooode, wlio.se plan was being now followed internally in a general way, with the dredging of the. inside channel to the depths proposed. With the object of cutting a better channel through the .sand bed which gathered across the entrance, Mr Vickcrman suggested the extension of the east" wall for at least another hundred feet, at an estimated cost of £9OOO, if stone could he conveniently obtained Of course this was only a half measure, because the whole walls were needed. This was part of the future work, and would, no doubt, improve the present state somewhat. The wall will go straight from the present wall in a north north-wost direction. Tnside the entrance he recommended that the log booms on the south side concave training wall should be completed except a short gap across the shallow flat near the flagstaff, and the whole concave will be made uniform. Also the convex, half-tide training wall, 050 feet long, built from the shingle bank island to the eact shore, which had given way greatly, wanted reforming more substantially, and up to high-water level. This ►.hingle bank island appeared to be extending down the river and rather too much into the main channel", but it was probable that the erection of the log booms just mentioned on the opposite side would cause the current to scour some of the tail away, if not, it must be dredged off to a parallel width. Generally, the river should he assisted as much as possible in keeping a 200 feet width of channel all the way from the bridge, and any gravel dredged might be. put on that east side to form a quarter or a half tide training wall, which would assist the current in scouring downwards. "Ho had carefully considered the very important, question of how to get riil of the sand and gravel that gathered in the entrance channel in dry seasons only after light freshes. .He hail carefully considered the sluicing proposals. but could not recommend either of them, as the one near the mouth would require a concrete bottom being put down to prevent bottom scour, and this-must be iixed at some definite depth which niight afterwards control navigation which would all have to pass over it.' Sluice gales near the bridge would be. better, but their e.'l'ect on the river was very uncertain.

lie recommended the obtaining of a dredge. Tlie ideal one seemed to him to be a trailing- suction, self-propelled hopper dredge, which could work aboilt tlie entrance outside, needing'no anchors but. picking up her loud as she moved along; and if fitted with shore deliver/ pipes, she <*OM?d he used inside, anchcred, and pmnp ber dredging ashore in tlie usual delivery pipes. She could be fitted with a revolving cutter on her suction pipe and should b,. suitably sized for the river, but as there seined to he some question about the tightness. of the gravel in I lie bed, it might lie well to make further investigation', and enquiry.

The Pries (.man dredge would lie useful for any hard spot and could work in conjunction with the other.

The' cost. uf this dredge ami pipes would lie ['2,1,000, nr. with oilier necessary ~nar, say £2a,00». If this wm c.'hisidcred too liipli, ,1 suction dredge, without propelling; gear. hut able to warp itself about liv winches and pear, eould he used with delivery pipes at probably half that cost, hut would lie a more difficult problem to work and handle, and not so suitable /or outside work. With this dredge he considered that Waitara would then lie able to deepen the channel to say live or six feet below the present low water line, all tile way up to the wharf, which lie did not think could be obtained in any other way so cheaply. This would enable the ordinary lightering business to be carried ou continuously, and, .if further business was opening it would enable it to be efficiently dealt with. The total outlay under all the«e heads is estimated at .C50.0M.