Environment Bay of Plenty has made new controlled cuts through stopbanks and is using dozens of pumps and to get rid of floodwater from the Rangitaiki Plains as quickly as possible.

Manager of rivers and drainage Bruce Crabbe is pleased with progress in removing the remaining pockets of water. Strategically-placed controlled cuts in river and canal stopbanks have made all the difference, he says. And, as river levels fall, even more water is able to flow through them. “We’re making the most of gravity and trying to squeeze every last bit of water out,” he says.

When they no longer drain water, the cuts are immediately re-built. “We are very conscious of keeping things safe,” Mr Crabbe says.

More than 40 extra pumps have been brought into the district, bringing the total number managed by Environment Bay of Plenty to just over 80. They are supported by privately-owned pumps. However, Mr Crabbe says, pumping water is quite a slow process compared to the controlled cuts.

Work is going “full speed ahead” on filling a 100-metre wide, five-metre deep breach in the Rangitaiki River stopbank. It is now filled to well above water level, though reconstructing the stopbank itself will take longer.

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