THE WAIKATO RIVER.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 157, 21 March 1916, Page 2

THE WAIKATO RIVER.

Minister of Marine's Inspection.

The postponed visit of inspection by the Hon K McNab, Minister for Marine, ot the Waikato river between Hunlly and Mercer, and the Whangamarino stream, took place yesterday

The party making tin trip c impriaed the following:—Hon l)r McNab, Minuter tor Marine; Hon V W Lang, M.P.; Messrs R K Bollard and J A iJouog, M.P.'e; C L) Kennedy, consulting engineer to the Board; H M Skect, Commissioner of Crown Lands; A G C Glass, chairman Waikato Kivar Board; K Clephane, J T Crorun and A Lapwood. members of the Board; R F Webster, president fukekohe Chamber of Comnietcc; G Parr and C B Smith, Hamilton Chamber of Commerce; C C Davir, Oaehunga Boruugh Council; A C Tribe, secretary United limber Company, Mercer; T Patterson, Ngaruawabia Town Board; F Bodle, manager New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co; H P Taylor, Auckland, and Black, private Eecretarv to Mr McNab. Atter dining at Hunlly the party left by launch for the Whangamariro and Maramarua stream 3 , but owing to the heavy thunderstorm that prevailed the Maramarua stream was not visited. Alter proceeding a s'tort dist-ar.ee along the Whangamarino stream the rich alluvial tractß of country on Us banks were viewed fri.m a high lev. I on Mr Ed Hallett's farm. Tre journey to ; Mercer wa9 then continued, and the wharf wrs arrived at shortly before dark Tin river between Mercer and Uuntly, a di tarce of twenty-seven mile*, varied in depth accnrding to its width, ana whenever the launch t-avelled in a comparatively narrow stretch there was plenty of water, but directly the rivtr wide-ej there was difficulty of navigation, particularly at Churchill, where the launch grounded and had to te levtr.d off. The Whangamarino stream 13 a fine natural waterway, but is becomirg obstructed by willow growth and the accumulation ot debris. Oa the' banks of the Wnangamaircu are 12.U00 p.ctcb ot c:untrv, which on an average is two fe;t above the level of tie river, but during third times becime submerged to a depth of trora four feet to five feet, and owing to the blocked condition of the rive', obstructing the free outlet of the water, the flooding remains tor several days after the rains have ceasad. It is cotfiden'ly anticipated that with an improved channel floods will not attain the height they do at presi-nt, and will subside very much quicker, The River Board is esking that the ruhsidics for the tributaries, amounting to £750, which were placed on the estimates last year, should be made straightout granti instead of £ for £, and that £6OOO should be voted for carrying on Ihe present river scheme. It is claimed that the Government should rander the requested aid, especially in view ot the fact that 20,000 acres of Crown lands at Lakes Whangamarino and Waikare have already benefited as a result of the River Board's operations. If the river is lowered three feet Bix inches it will, in addition to draining the Crown lands, adequately drain 150,000 acres tf privately owned property There seems to be some apprehension in the minds ot the settlers in the upper reaches of the river that the works being carried out by the Board will interfere with the navigation. The Board's engineer, however, gives an assurance that there is no re d for such tears and that if a pchniie was to be devised bolgv tor improving the navigation it would lollow the same hnea as the prere it work. To provide a free outkt it would ba necessary to have a river bed ot uniform width and dep'.h. The works arc carrief cut on lines fallowed in effecting river improvements all over tne world. Ot course, he siid, thcra was much variety in tin mode of carstruc ion, but the method used of making a live wail of willows would when once established be as effective as a concrete wall, The engiretr instanced the following example, as stnwwg that when works were . undertaken with a view of effecting greater facilities for navigation the result, n addition to that object, was the attainment of the River Board's desire, nam ly, the leasibility of draining adjoining lards aod partial, but still substantial, immunity from floods, owing to the facility with which the I) iod waters would be enabled to peks down the improved river bed. The Clyde furnished a goad example of this; there was practically no fall from Port Glasgow. iSt'aightenirig and deepening tha chnanel, th 3 work extending over a very long period, had been effected over a distance of about nineteen mil s The tide rose about three inches higher at Glasgow than formerly, bat fell tight and a half feet lower—oue incidental result being the cessation of inundation from river floods of the low-lying parts of the city. In the Waikato, however, the obstructions were ot a very s:rious nature; they were not only shoals forming a wei*, but they actually formed a clam at low water and a wid3 expanse of river bed jjet below Paku was practically dry at low spring. I h re was ample evidence that many years ago the bed of the river was five or six feet hwer at Meu :r, The bottoms of the inlets to tre large swamps were ij'iite that number of feet below ' the present liver bed. Erosion had tiken place, islands had formed and the stioals below had increased. A culvert that twenty years ago direharged through an embankment above Mercer was two fest telow ! the normal river level In tin evening th;- visitors accimpaoied by several local resi dents met at the Masonic Private Hotel and were entertained at dinner by the members of the River 1 B-ard. A most sumptuous bill-ol- | tare was provided, Mr A G C Glass I presiding In rerly to the toast of "The Parliament or Now Z:cland," Mr McNab said that thope gentlemen interested 111 the development of (he Waikati river \voull be aware of the G vernment's limita'iuns in the way of expenditure owing to the war conditions, and he hoped they would not feel aggrieved it l|iey did not recejve the aiount of money for the work that they would iu normal timei be led to expect,

When normal conditions returned re would endeavour to see that the waterways of the Dominion received more attentiun in the future than they had in the past. He had heard it s:id that b:eause a railway wbb near a waterway the Government should (live no to the development of Hie htter. He did not hold that view. Mr McNab then referred to the tremendous development of fie waterways of the south, particularly the Sonne's in ».te Marlbarough district, where every taimer had hn launch and where all the produce was conveyed by water. The Minister promis el trat anything he could ao consistent with the money plated at hiis ciis(io?3l to assist those on the Wai kato rive.- he would du The lower reaches of the Waikat) river were inspected t:-day. Tba launch left the wharf at G a.m. in a heavy downpour of rain, which pa?s;d oft' as the morning progressed