Masterton waterway closure near certain

Degradation of the Ruamahanga River seems to have sounded the death knell for the Te Ore Ore Water Race.

The permanent closure of a man-made water race, dug in the early 1900s and which has served a Masterton farming community ever since, looks to now be a foregone conclusion.

Masterton District Council is expected tomorrow to rubber stamp a recommendation from its senior officers to close the Te Ore Ore water race.

This would be following agreement from Greater Wellington Regional Council to transfer the water take either in whole or in part to major users of the race who intend to drill bores to get water for farm irrigation.

The closure of the water race has been accepted by most of those who used it, and who posted submissions to the council on its future, as being inevitable as degradation of the Ruamahanga River means doing remedial work to maintain a flow is not now financially viable.

Along with the closure, there is likely to be an agreement for council senior officers and water race users to meet the regional council to talk through the prospect of setting up a drainage scheme, using the old water race.

The old water race channel would be used to carry floodwater to the Whangaehu Stream, easing flooding for properties in the area.

Plans to close the water race arose from the realisation degradation of the Ruamahanga River bed had caused a drop of about 1.5m to 2m along a stretch of the river, meaning the intake for the gravity-fed water race was now well above the water channel.

Repetitive and expensive channel work had to be done to maintain any water flow.

Among the submissions to the council is one from Brent and Anna Anderson who, while accepting remedial work to keep the water flowing was not viable, said closure of the race will be a "considerable expense".

"We have no alternative for stock and garden water, having walked away from our inefficient bore and poured our money into a system allowing us to take from the water race."

Mr and Mrs Anderson said the only options seemed to be a new bore and pump or joining the Wainuioru Water Scheme, both of which were likely to cost between $15,000 and $20,000.

Settlement Rd property owner Cameron Stuart has asked to speak to his submission at tomorrow's meeting.

Mr Stuart said he was disappointed the water race would have to close when 10 years ago it was a reliable source of water.

He said he believed degradation of the river bed was more the result of "human involvement" than by natural means.

"For me the cost of providing water to my property is hundreds of thousands of dollars, sad when I believe it could have lasted another 100 years - a simple gravity system."