An assessment of the Cardrona River has shown its channel continues to deepen, but that is not necessarily a bad thing, Otago Regional Council chief executive Graeme Martin says.
A report on the river channel's shape, form and sedimentation was presented recently to the council's engineering and hazards committee.
Natural hazards analyst Richard Woods said in the report that observed changes indicated there was considerably less sediment within the active channel margin over the surveyed periods.
The river had flooded in November 1999 but since then the net trend had been one of "degradation".
It was anticipated the river system would deepen and/or broaden further if sedimentation events, such as floods or extraction or dumping of gravel, remained infrequent and further degradation might contribute to bank erosion and a deeper channel.
The information could be used to support assessment of flood and erosion hazards and decision-making regarding commercial gravel extraction and council's river management activities, he said.
Mr Martin said degradation occurring was "not a bad circumstance" as a deeper channel meant the river could carry more water.
"It is a management situation."
