THE RUAMAHUNGA RIVER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4494, 11 August 1893, Page 3

THE RUAMAHUNGA RIVER.

Serious Encroachments'

Mr 0. £. Bremner, Engineer to the North County Council, reports that at Te Ore Ore the Ruamabunga river has made serious attaoks on the private property of MrOaselberg, and earned away a.largo extent of land on its left bank, The main body of water now occupying the bed immediately along this frontage is rapidly encroaching-iowards the low depression, which |r'uniin'a south-easterlv direction towards the main road, and approach of the Te -Ore Ore bridge, An examination of :tho bud for some distance above shows .that the river has banked up largo ; shingle shoals across its former ihranch channels, and is now confined jin one bod; of water to a point a short (distance above the boundary between iMr Caselberg and tho Natives, From bere it breaks away into a number of branches, ana' iy-cbannels iDtersecb,'ug the wide, river bed aud so raising , the water level in relation te the adjoining ' ao( ' 8 i as t0 DaVe exposed them to inuidationa during oach of recent 'floods, .The result of this . deviation flf the upper course is a corresponding modification in the line wator immediately above ijptgOi which is now deflected acrosTtowards and behind the protective works in a number of . channels calculated, sooner or later, to do serious barm. This evil has been further aggravated through the partial closing of the waterway between the piles of the bridge, by the accumulation on them of the willow tangle and fenoing washed down from the banks destroyed up stream, and forming now, a great impediment to the flow of theßbinglo during flood, With respect lo this latter obstruction, arrangements have been made ' .for clearing the waterway when the «ver has sufficiently subsided to idisentangle and remove it, To correct the ptesent throning aspect of the outlay orj works to divert the water into a more central channel of its bed. This can be undertaken, with fair prospeots 'Of success, at tho point above referred to above the boundary of Mr Caselberg I /with the Natives, where the water first broke away out of its confined course, ThiswoutcTiliyolve the driving of 12 or 14 piles, connected with .strong wire cableß, from tbo bank, obliquely aorow the stream in the direction of the first branch channel and extending this from time to time '.. if necessary, as the shingle accumlates 'l about it, until the course U effectually *,'■ altered in the desired direction. It %' 'may be further necessary to. supplef4c - ment this by a second row of similar ftff 'work some distance down stream, bnt H ; . this would only, be contingent on p. -. ' subsequent developments in the river Wfi '. after tbo advantages of tho first work E', jjaje/ been partially' or wholly f?ouied.

;If (ho Council should agree to pruceed with'' this, those private' properties interested in it 'should be ; canvassed for subscriptions and the Work put in hand with as little delay as possible.