2021 Flooding

Awahuri Forest Kitchener Park experienced two significant flooding events in 2021. The first in September. This flood was beyond the normal gentle floods that are normal in the forest. This swept through the whole forest submerging new plantings. It brought in great quantities of plastics and debris from urban back yards. The flood receding quickly. Within 24 hours only the oxbows and pockets of low areas still had water in them.

In December two significant rain events a few days apart caused even more severe flooding and high velocity flows across the forest. Significant quantities of river shingle were carried into the Park along with high volumes of silt. The river shingle and silt were dumped across the park through into the carpark, ripping up tar seal and dropping debris everywhere. The water didn’t dissipate quickly. This flood episode also created significant damage to Awahuri Road, destroying berms and undercutting the tar seal. Many properties in and around Feilding were also flooded.