Lower Hutt River Silverstream Weir.

[preacher]

Just over a year ago the weir across the river got badly damaged during several days of heavy rain which caused the river to threaten it. Unfortunately this created a massive barrier to fish travelling upstream, especially over the white bait season, while the river level was low.

Finally though it appears the Council has got off their backsides and started to do something about it.

Looking across the river, a large wall has been built across it channelling the river away.

The damage to the base of the weir is amazing

The water poured over it in one huge waterfall, because of the overhang nothing could get up. Even the baby eels that tried to slip up along the edge got caught by the overhang. I really hope they sort it out.

Looking across the lagoon they have created at the new entrance to the river, the base of the weir used to be alive with bullies and Inanga. Now... nothing. Not sure if they can get upstream along the temp. bypass. All I saw today was a single trout gliding around the lagoon.

I will try and keep an eye on the place as they repair it.

[preacher]

Well after weeks of earthworks that didnt seem to amount to much more than shift that boulder to the left.... um... no actually move it too the right. Mother nature seems to have decided to take a hand in it. Our recent big storm flooded the river and utterly destroyed their little dam, and most of their road down to the river. With the raised river level and their earthworks however the flow dynamics below the weir such that fish should, for now, be able to bypass the weir without too much difficulty. Fingers crossed we see a bit more life upstream now.

P.

[joff_nz]

Thanks for the update preacher, I was wondering what had happened to that area over the weekend.