68
NELSON GOVERNMENT GAZETTE.

the outflow of the river, and give a greater depth of
water on the bar.

2nd. To cut a new channel immediately below the
town, across a very narrow part of the North Spit, so
that the river, instead of pursuing, as at present, a
tolerably regular curve to the sea, might flow nearly
straight into it.

3rd. To cut a new channel across the North
Spit, a little lower down the river, in a really straight
line with the general course of the river, above the
town into the sea.

4th. To erect artificial works on the tail-end of a
Spit lying between the main channel of the river, and
a second channel situated below Garden Island, for
the purpose of driving the main body of the river in
a straighter line to sea, thus assisting the work
proposed in No. 1, the effect of both of which, it is
thought, would be to cause the sea to deposit
material on the North Beach, and the beach to resume,
or partially resume, its former shape.

It will thus be seen that there are two main points
for consideration, viz., 1st, the preservation of the
town from further destruction, mainly to be accom-
plished indirectly by the means pointed out in Nos. 1
and 4; and, 2nd, the improvement of the entrance,
deepening of the bar, and preservation of the river,
as a safe and commodious Port for shipping.

Before proceeding to offer an opinion on the above
proposals, I will briefly recapitulate the contents of
the reports written on the subject of the Buller,
and the encroachments of that river and the sea on
the Town of Westport, viz.:—

1st. A Report from me, as Provincial Engineer, 1st
December, 1868.

2nd. A Report from Mr. Balfour, as Marine
Engineer, 11th February, 1869.

3rd. A second Report from me, 5th April, 1870.

In No. 1 Report the use of stone groins was
strongly recommended for the purpose of arresting
the rapid destruction of the river banks by floods,
and works of this kind have been partially carried
out by the Provincial Government of Nelson, viz.,
one large groin and two smaller groins, the latter
not yet completed.

This plan, I may say, has been attended with com-
plete success, the only influence now acting prejudi-
cially on the river banks being that of a low swell
and surf which rolls in from the sea for a certain
distance up the river, gradually undermining the
banks and causing them to fall.

In the completion of the former groins, will, to a
certain extent, arrest this action, which, however,
may be entirely stopped by covering the banks
between the groins with stones, and this may be
done at a comparatively small cost.

In No. 2 Report, Mr. Balfour explains that he
entirely agrees with the recommendations contained
in No. 1, but advises as an addition that the channel
behind Garden Island should be opened, at a cost of
£2000, as a flood-water outlet, for the purpose of
reducing the velocity of the water in the main
channel during floods, and thus lessening the des-
tructive scouring action.

In No. 3 Report, the damage done to Westport by
the sea is described, and it is pointed out that the
commencement of this damage, and the subsequent
injurious effects on the town, were owing to the
removal by the inhabitants of an enormous mass of
drift-wood collected by the sea, and embedded in the
beach like a breastwork, which, being mixed with
shingle and boulders, formed an almost impenetrable
barrier against the force of the heaviest surf.

It is also explained how, at that time, the destruc-
tion of the beach might have been stayed by the use
of wooden groins filled with stones and placed at a
certain angle on the beach, and by the erection of
a low breastwork constructed in the same manner.
Of these, one experimental groin of wood only was
erected, and, while it stood, appeared likely to answer
the purpose intended, but not being filled with stones
was soon destroyed.

I now forward with this, as a record, copies of
these Reports, and also plans A., B., C., D., showing
the original channel, &c., of the river, and the
alterations effected by the action of floods, and by
that of the beach, with explanatory notes.

The plans have been prepared by Mr. Dobson,
Provincial Engineer, who, during a residence of some
years on the Coast, has carefully observed the changes
of the river and the beach.

WORKS PROPOSED.

1. To open the channel behind Garden Island.

I have already, by telegram, given an opinion on
this work, and have declined to recommend it, on the
ground that I considered it very doubtful if it would
have the desired effect, and that it might do harm in
another direction, for which the Government would
be responsible. I will shall now offer some further
remarks on this scheme.

The action of the river has, for some time past,
been steadily to close up the entrance of this side
channel by delivering into it heavy drift timber and
large masses of shingle and boulders; and this
would lead us to infer that a constant expenditure
would be necessary to keep the entrance open. This
inference will be rendered plainer by a glance at the
map, which shows that it is essentially and literally a
side channel, not in the direction of the main flow of
the river. It will also be seen that, from its size,
it could never have carried off a very large proportion
of the flood-water, and I may state also, on good
evidence, that some eight or nine years ago this
channel, except in floods, was dry from end to end,
and that it was used constantly as a track by the
early surveyors, all tending to show that its action
must always have been very limited.

Further, it is possible that the success of the
experiment might be great, and that too large
a body of water might be made to flow off in this
direction to the detriment of the main channel, and
the possible destruction of land on the south bank.

Again, supposing the exact desired amount of
water were attained, I consider its controlling
action would not be so great as supposed, but
that it would be dissipated in the wide expanse of
water below the island, and influence, to a small
extent, only the actual direction of the outflow of
the river.

Again, whatever the amount of this effect might
be, it would only be exerted during floods, as the
entrance to the side channel would be dry or nearly
so during the ordinary state of the river. This fact
would lead us to seek for some more permanent