THE WHANGAMARINO SWAMP.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 215, 24 July 1914, Page 4

THE WHANGAMARINO SWAMP.

A Big Drainage Problem. What Mr Thompson Says. A report by Mr J. B. Thompson, land dminage engineer, in connection with tha proposed drainage of the Whangamarino Swamp, in the Auckland district, was presented to tha House on Widr.eaday by the Prime Minist r. The area of the swamp lar.d is given as approximately 11,300 acres. Thi report states that the Whangamarino anJ Maramarua rivers curIrv. 1 the posiiio i, an«l when the summsr l.vel of tte Waikato river at Mireer rise two feet these riv rj oveifliw their banks, and the swamp lands are awash for a considerable a ea. There is less than one foot of fall i.i the Whangamarino river from its junction with the Waikato river to the foothill?, ard the tall of the Maramarua river is also very small. Therefore, substantially ljwtring the Waikito river is necessary in order to ensure gravity drainage ot the swamp lands. Ihe report states that it would bs p-Bsible to drain the swamp by banking the Maramarua acd Whangamarino river 3, and erecting banks the railway line, and then pumpirg, bit such a scheme would he very costly. The lowering of the Vaikato riv r would also be a huge w ik. I : would probably not be so difficult 'i r. claim the swamp areas close to the toithills. An engineering !urv<y w: b now ii hand in connection wit i the swamp, but as this su vey is beirg done together with ite Waikato liver survey it will b- some month" before it is completed. ihe swamp survey is expect d to disclose to what extent boh Crown a d freehold lands can be adequately drained. Mr Thompson states that naturally any scheme for the drainage of the swamp must be on a mutual basis, and the owners of freehold lands will be required to contribute in proportion to the benefits that they will receive. It wtuld be u-ieless at present, h a says, to subsidise any local body formed for the purpose of prosecuting drainage operations, seeing that so raaay fac»ois enter into the consideration of such a scheme. The Department is arxious to make its own lands available for settlement, but it cannct be expected tn undertake sny scheme likely to- bemfit privately-owned lar.ds such lands find a propoition of the coßt. The Waikato river presents the most serious obstacle to the drainage of the swamp, ai d most exhaustive engineering data is being obtained in regard tj this river. Various surveys, which were commenced about eighteen months ago, are still in progress. Ihe aata thus collected will be placed before the Inland Waterways Commission. The data already gathertd shows that it will be much eaier to obtain an improvement from the Waikato heads to the Tuakaular.ding than from this larding to Mercer and thence up stream. Mr Thompson concludes his report by remarking: "The only reasonable conclusion to be arrived at is that the matter of drainage must be hi kl in abeyance for some lime yet, so that a comprehensive scheme may be evolved."