IRRIGATION SCHEME

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 66, 5 April 1937, Page 6

IRRIGATION SCHEME

-Press Association.)

Work Begun on Project That Will Cost a Million RANGITATA DIVERSI0N

(By Telegraph-

CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Work on the largest and most iruportant project of its kind in New Zealand — the Rangitata diversnn xrrigation scheme — has been begun. The purpose of the race which is being constructed is to supply water for the Ashburton-Lyndhurst irrigation scheme anff also all anticipated water requiremeuts for the' rest of the Ashburton county, including stock water for that part of the county which can be ecoromically served from the race. Ihe tctal length of the iace will be approxiinately 35 miles, the total area to be served more than 200,000 acres, and tho combined cost of the two schemes o«'urly £1,000,000. The scheme has been worked out with the collaboration of Mr F. Laugbein, district engineer for the Pubii© Works Department in Christchurch, and other senior engineers including Mr J. Wood, Chief Engineer to the Public Works Department. The local engineer in crkarge is Mr E. C. Smith, and Mr l1. G. Beck, resident engineer to the Public Works Department at Temuka, is directing th© work. TBe race will leave the Rangitata river at Rocky Gorge (where the river emerges.on to the plain) and will traverse the plain in a north-easterly direction, passing between the Surrey Hills and Mayfield and across both branches of the Hinds river tc the Soffth Ashburton river. On crdssing the "South Ashburton river through a large "flume at an elevation of approximately 980 feet, the capacjty, which altogether .is 900 cusecs, will be reduced to 450*" cusecs, and the race v?ijl continue to Boyer's and Taylor'a streams where, in all probability, flumes will be used to make a erossing. The race will then proceed to the north Ashburton river, where a flume will take the water into the main race of the Ashburton-Lyndhurst irrigation. scheme. Some idea of the magnitude' of the project can be gathered by comparing its scale with the scale of the existing stock-race. The old stock-race measures 6ft. 6in. across at the top, 4ft. 4in. wide at the bottom, and is one foot deep. The new diversion race will raeasure 60ft. across at the top, 20ft. wide at the bottom, and will be 10ft. deep. The construction work will employ an average of 130 men for about three years, and when the "race is completed it will be ably to carry sufficient water, to supply the irrigation and stock need# of the whole t>f Ashburton county. The design for the intake structure has not yet been completed and may involve outting a short drive of from. five to six ehains, according| to Mr T. G^ Beck, the department' s engineer at Temuka. During operations at the intake the water will be prevented from entering the existing stock race, #nd, so that no hardship of any kind may f&ll on the farmers in the' lower-lying areas, a pumping unit of 300 horsepower will be installed, and the water from the river, by an electric motor of 300 horse-power, will be lifted to • height of 107ft. and discharged in the present stock race. • Progress on the scheme will be slow at first till more machinery arrivea, Mr Beck told a reporter, but the speed of construction will be increased.as the necessary machinery is assemhled. 1d the meantime sufficient machinery it at hand for the mam job.