Environment Canterbury’s Timaru-based flood control team are warning farmers and land-owners around the Lower Waitaki River to keep a close eye on the river, which is likely to remain at high levels for some time.

Water threatened houses at the Waitaki Bridge township on the south side of the Waitaki River on State Highway One around midday today.

As of this afternoon, the Waitaki River had been flowing at around 1400 cumecs (cubic metres per second) for 24 hours. This is about four times its normal flow. Meridian Energy advise that they propose to continue to spill approximately 1400 cumecs into the lower Waitaki River into the forseeable future, which means that river levels will stay high.

“Due to the long duration of the high flow, farmers alongside the river are advised to monitor their river frontage closely for any erosion or overtopping. The situation may continue to change due to the continued high flow in the river,” said Environment Canterbury flood controller Philip Lees.

Update on Rangitata:
Heavy rain in the headwaters of the Rangitata River over the weekend has now eased. At 10.30am on Sunday the river flow at the gorge peaked at 1657 cumecs. Since then the river has continued to fall and was flowing at 520 cumecs at 3pm today. However, this is still a much larger flow than normal and it may continue for some time. As for the Waitaki, farmers alongside the river are similarly advised to monitor their river frontage closely for any erosion or overtopping.

For further information: Philip Lees, ECan Flood Controller 03 6877 800 or 0274 986 742, or Graham Sullivan, ECan Flood Controller, 0274 986 742
Or see flood warning updates on www.ecan.govt.nz, right hand side of web homepage, Or check river levels from the home page right hand side underneath Flood Warnings www.ecan.govt.nz/Our+Environment/Water/Rivers/RiverFlows/river-flow-table.htm.