Barr.—On the Taieri Floods. 117 
So that the flood, under these conditions, would accumulate at the rate of 
443,000 cubic feet per minute, which would spread over the areas of these two 
lakes, and raise their surface about three feet nine inches in a twenty-four 
hours flood. Even though there were such a rise, no serious damage would 
result to the adjoining lands ; but in this calculation there are two elements, 
which are taken at extreme figures, viz., the length of time, and the rate of 
discharge by the Waipori, which is much in excess of that estimated by Mr. 
Thomson, so that we may reasonably presume that even under such gircum- 
stances as those of the 1868 floods, the rise would be very much less than that 
I have stated. 
The quantity to be stored above Outram would evidently be the difference 
between the largest flood delivery there in the 1868 floods, and the quantity 
which I have already named as likely to get past the least capable section of 
the river, between there and the East Taieri bridge, amounting to 3,200,000 
cubic feet per minute. Now this would be derived from different districts, 
the comparative areas of which are— 
Square Miles. 
Above Taieri lake and Kyeburn _..., seg e 850 
Sutton, Deep, and Lee streams à oe wid 480 
East of river between Lake and Gaius or sib 370 
1,700 
But the configuration of the country to the east of the river is unfavourable 
for storing a large quantity of water upon any of the tributary gullies, and the 
basin of the Taieri lake is more favourable, so that we must calculate upon 
having none upon the eastern portion, but store a correspondingly larger 
amount upon the Taieri lake. Taking therefore three-fourths of the total for 
that part, and the remaining fourth to be stored in small reservoirs upon the 
Sutton, Deep, and Lee streams, the Taieri lake would require to have its outlet 
so raised as to enable it to store as much as 3,002,400,000 cubic feet in 
eighteen hours. Now the area of that lake and part of the Kyeburn valley 
which would be affected so far up as the present ford on the Dunedin road is 
about 91,846,260 square feet, so that the increase of depth would amount to 
thirty-four feet. This additional depth would be required over the whole area 
named ; but owing to the fall of the valleys, this could not be got on an 
average without raising the dam to a height above the bank at the bridge, 
and thus requiring a considerable extension in length. Probably a more 
economical method might be by a smaller dam at that part, and other two at 
the outlets from the lake proper, by which means sufficient storage might 
possibly be obtained for the waters of floods less than that of February, 
1868, and also sufficient to reduce a similar one to safe limits, for if they 
