Behind the 400ft wide concrete dam there are 1450 acres of water, running from ''nothing'' to a depth in places of 82 feet. Put down in engineering terms the dam at present holds 1,350,000,000 cubic feet of water, and this water is now within 7ft of the top of the dam.
The dam has a height of 78ft. The water is now being tapped to irrigate land both at Ida Valley and at Galloway Flat.
The supply to Galloway is, however, a temporary arrangement, as when the Manuherikia water supply scheme is further developed Galloway will obtain its irrigation water from Manuherikia. The dam is at present swarming with ducks - whether or not the lake would be entirely closed to shooters is another matter - and numbers of rainbow trout have been released in it.
When some arrangement is made to plant willows, poplars, etc., on the banks of the wide expanse of water, and when the water is more or less enclosed with growing trees, it will be an ideal spot for safe boating.
Other means could no doubt be adopted to beautify the area, and there would probably be no objections by the Public Works Department to the Otago Expansion League taking steps to improve the look of the bare rocky hillsides and banks of the lake.
Pounawea fire
The premises known as Kolberg's Accommodation House, at Pounawea, were totally destroyed by fire about 3.30 yesterday morning. The main building consisted of a well-built house of 14 or 15 rooms, which, at a rough estimate, was worth 800, though it would cost a sum much in excess of that amount to build it at the present time.
There were also outbuildings, the principal being a stable, which was also totally destroyed.
The furnishings in the house were apparently of the best, and included among them was a piano, the cost of which was nearly 100. Mr Kolberg died a few years ago, and the house was carried on by Mrs Kolberg up to a recent date, when, owing to the illness of her chief assistant in the business and of herself, she had to close down the establishment, which was left untenanted from then up to the time of its destruction.
Unfortunately, everything, even to bed and table linen, was in the house at the time of the outbreak. It is estimated to have been worth about 400, so that the total loss amounts to something like 1200. Against that there may be some insurance.
Impressive orchards
A Balclutha resident who was one of those who visited Cromwell on Saturday to witness the Kawarau damming experiment, says the miles of country planted in young orchards to be seen all the way from Rae's Junction to Cromwell is astounding. It means an immense production of fruit in the future, and his only fear is that the Government does not realise what is being done, and is doing nothing to provide fresh markets.
Nothing so easily ''gluts'' as fruit, and it would be a vast pity if a promising industry were not judiciously looked out for in this respect.
- ODT, 31.1.1918.
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