HORAHIA DRAINAGE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4855, 20 July 1925, Page 3

HORAHIA DRAINAGE.

MEETING OF BOARD. RELIEF FOR ORCHARD ROAD. The monthly meeting of the Horahia Drainage Board was held at Mr F. A. Kneebone’s residence, Horahia. ■on Friday last, Mr W. McDuff presiding over Messrs J. M. Thompson, R. L. Davies, F. A, Kneebone,' J. C. Miller, W. E. Hale, J. McKerchar, and the clerk (Mr W. E. G. Willy). FINANCE. The financial statement for the year up to June 31, as presented by the clerk, showed a Credit balance of £3Ol 17s 4d, and- rates collected since amounted to £446 9s Id for the year 1924-25. In addition £ll OS lOd in rates h,ad been collected for the year 19>25-26. The overdraft was £303 17s 4d. Up to the present date £lllB 17s 3d of 1924-25 rates and £5B 14s 9d of 1925-26 rates had been collected, leaving £697 of 1924-25 rates outstanding. NEW WORK. Mr Thompson said that the chairman and he had, after discussing the matter with the settlers, decided to abandon the suggested drain througn Shilton's and Greenaway’s, etc,, to one of the new drains in the HorahiaOpou area, as that drain would be overloaded. He moved .that a contract be let for the improvement of the zig-zaz portion of the Willow drain from the To Kauri No. 2 to the corner of section 13, about half a mile from the Wharepoa road, by cutting off the corners and widening the top to 10ft 6in and deepening the drain to about 6ft witli a width at the bottom of 2ft, the cost to be paid out of the Southern Area’s portion of the Government grant.

Seconded by Mr R. L. Davies and carried.

It was also decided that this work be attended to first by .the engineer. On Mr Thompson’s motion it was decided to have the roadside drain from Mr Lough’s section to Price’s drain attended to. Mr McDuff brought up the matter ■of deepening the Orchard East roadside drain for a short distance from the Willow drain to give relief to Mr Spencer’s land and that of his neighbours. Only about .15 chains required deepening to give relief. The chairman and Mr Hale were deputed to inspect t/he drain with power to act. ACCOUNTS. Accounts totalling £47 Is 5d were passed for payment. THE GENERAL SCHEME. , At the request of the board the lands drainage engineer, Mr E. Taylor, attended to give his advice on the size of the outlets proposed in the general scheme. Mr Taylor said that the size .of a drain depended on the area to oe drained, the grade of the drain, and the nature of the discharge. The length of the sluice and the time of the sluice-gate action had also to be taken into consideration. When the area had been surveyed he and the board’s engineer could confer and submit a schedule showing what draints of certain sizes in the different places would discharge and what size would be the most suitable.

This view was endorsed by the board’s engineer, who suggested that the board should decide on the margin of safety and the batter required. Members said that they favoured a one to one batter, particularly near the flood-gates. This was commended by Mr Taylor, who advocated a straight batter rather than a drain’with a bench. Mr Anderson observed .that a drain with a 2ft bottom, 4ft deep, and a one to one batter would take the water from. 1500 acres in 24' hours.

Mr Taylor gaid'that he considered a 2£t bottom width small enough, as otherwise a small slip would block the drain. Discussing the fall in the zig-zag portion of the: Willow drain, Mr ,Taylor expressed the opinion that a fall of one in two thousand should be obtained. This would be more than most drains had, but would be advisable on account of the angles. Discussing relief ofr the Orchard East and Horahia-Opou areas, Mr Taylor isaid that his scheme when the flood-gates were installed was to bank the spoil on both sides of Price’s drain and the drain between McDuff’s ; and Louch’s so that the water from the high land wduld be conveyed to the river through the. high level drain without overflowing on to the low land. Two flood-gates had been provided to deal with the water from the low-lying land. It was part of the scheme to provide a flap> on the culvert at Parry’s corner, to prevent water going down the roadside drain to the Ngatea bridge flpod-gate, and to divert it along the Kerepeehi road and down the high banked drain between Messrs Louch’s and jMeDuff’s. He was of opinion tha# this scheme would provide efficient drainage of the area) and prove a remedy for the existing state of affairs l , whereby the low-lying land was inundated by water from the high.' • land. The scheme had been designed '.o' that end, but the taking over of the area by the board had relieved the department of the necessity of doing any further work.

The completion of this scheme was advocated by the board's engineer. Mr Taylor said that it was still the department’s intention’ to instal a 4'ft flood-gate at Price’s ’outlet. Mr McDuff said that the settlers would object to the proposal. Mr Anderson thought that the settlers sould not object when they knew the benefits of the scheme. They were probably not fully conversant with the facts, particularly the provision of the flap-door to prevent the water going down the roadside and flooding the land as at present. The roadside drain would then only be for the drainage of the farms fromting it.

This was endorsed by Mr Taylor. Mr McDuff suggested catling a