WORKS ON THE WAIKATO RIVER.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 212, 26 September 1916, Page 4

WORKS ON THE WAIKATO RIVER.

Statement by Mr Glass. As an offset to the report made by Mr Aohley Hunter, M.1.U.E., in regard to tbe works of the Waikato Kiver Board (published in our last issue), the following ttatement haß been issued by Mr A. ti. C. Glass, chaiman of the Kiver Board, viz. "Tre River Board is now carrying out, and will be able under its present arrangements to continue and complete, the first section of the scheme laid out by Mr C. E. Kennedy, of Napier, its consulting engineer. Thin sec'ion consists ot the corstruction of groynes between the Devil's Elbow and the wharf at the Heads, * distance ot some eight ail s. All that now remains to be done in this section is about half a mile of willow tilling at the Devil's Elbow groynes, and completing the cut through tbe sand-bar known an 'The Sheep Paddock.' Mr Kennedy estimates that when the a ction is completed the river will be deepened at Mercsr by at least 2ft. 6io. The depth of the river for navigation purposes will then have been inert aeed for as far as the groynes have gone.

WORKS OF THE FUTURE.

"The second section of Mr Kennedy's scheme, between the Devil's Eloow and Mercer, is to be left in abeyance, as no subsidy from the Government is available this year, and the £6OOO borrowed with the approval of the ratepayers is practically expended, leaving the Board without funds for immediate lirge projec's. A small work will be undertaken shortly to deepen the tiver at the two bad places between Churchill and Rangsrin, which are now impassable for launch traffic. If debentures now held by tbe Board's bankers, to the amount of £6OO, can be sold, that work will probably bu carried out during the summer months. "Tbe plans decided upon for the present year provide for tbe dredging of tbe Pokeno river, lor which purpose a loan of £SOO bas been approved by the ratepayers; also the clearing of the Rotongaro creek to Whangape, for which £BSO is available.- There is also a sum of £B6O granted by Parliament for the clearing of willows from the different tributaries of the Waikato. The expenditure of these

monejs will keep the Board's plant and cfliciali occupied until such time as the Government aee tit to provide further monetary assistance. SUCCESS OF PKESENI SCHEME. "As regards the preEent scheme of operations, everything propos.d by Mr Kennedy, and so far put to We test, has proved to be upon the riiht lines. In the first place, ihe velocity of the river's current has been materially increased. That is shown by the fact that at the time of the las: teavy raics the flood waters got away from the land niuc'j more quickly than was tbe case on similar occasion* before the works were started. Agan, the last freshet that occurred in the river Bvept away tbe northern sandbank at tbe beads to the extent of 150 yds long bv two catl s in width. It is quite certain that until th.t clearar.ee occurred there had been no alteration in the obstructing bai ks since tbe Maori wa r . DRAINAGE OF WHANGAM A KINO SWAMPS.

"When Mr Kennedy first inspected the Wbangamaiino Swamps, three years age, he stated that be saw uo difficulty in reclaiming their. An a first step, he recommended me to try the effect of bis ideas on two swamps that I own, adj ining the railway line, as that would practically compel the Government to assist the district by draining their own ajdacent land; some 12,000 acres. His proposal was comparatively inexpensive, npmely, tbat a contract be let for a drain, taking up all the fall obtainable from the Whangamarino Stream to the head of the swamp, up to a fall of 4ft of 6ft, but not to go deeper, in case of fires being lighted in the peat by engine Bparks before the land became consolidated. That suggestion has been carried out, wi h the result that the two Bwamps are now drained. One was burned dawn to a depth of about 2ft 6in by railway fires. Dating last month's floods this awamp was inundated to a depth of 2tt, but the waters soon subsided, and now the grass lookß better than ever before. The second swamp, which was drained ar.d grassed last year, carried sheep and cattle all through the rains of August, though those were, with one exception, the heaviest known for 40 years. Clearly that result is evidence that the Whangamarino swamps can be drained, and with very little expense, except elope to the river, where the erection of stop-bankß will be necessary. When last Mr Kennedy visited the district

he assured us tbat there would be no difficulty in draining practically the whole of the Whangamarino region."