Waikato River Works.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 219, 20 October 1916, Page 4

Waikato River Works.

jTO THE EDITOR.] Sir,—As one who is interested in seeing the Waikato river improved I crave a little space for a few remarks anent the above woiks now in progress. I have had over 20 j years close connection with the liver j and have taken notice of it in all its j phases, from the highest flood, ; recorded to the lowest summer level ; and have navigated it and all its tributaries from Port Waikato to Hamilton. So far as any improve- I ment yet resulting from the River J Board's works, there is none. I 1 find that the river is raising itself on its bed between Tauranganui and j Pakau, because as more volume of water has been diverted down this channel more silt is also brought, and as it meets the tide it is deposited there. The Board evidently recognise this because they are trying dredging, which, however, is not likidy to do much to relieve matters, as they are throwing the sand back into the same channel again ju-jt two or three chains away. Most of the launch owners know this channel is getting worse, because they always take a bade channel to the Iln.ids if : the ride is at all low. i There is another phase nf the i MitllllliMaM

between the Elbow and Kaitangata will, without doubt, have the effect of holding the river up at a higher level, and a considerable seepage will take place into the Aka Aka Plains, which will entail more drainage. As the outlet of the Eastern drain has been silted up considerably this will mean that the water will have to be carried right down to the Aka Aka creok. It has come under my notice already that the flood ; level is being continued further j down the river. Those groynes are i only partially willowed up yet. When they are completed I anticipate a backing of the water for some miles up the river. As to the northern channel from the Eastern drain . downwards towards the Heads, it is getting silted up rapidly and it behoves those people in Waiuku and Onehunga, who are looking forward some day to a canal, to see that this | channel is kept open, as it is the one which leads to where tho canal will intersect the river. If the ! channel gets very much silted ; up, as it undoubtedly will, the j scheme will be delayed if not alto- \ gether abandoned. It is essential in the best interest of all concerned that the river be given a free course i down that side, which was the old | original channel over 30 years ago : We would all like to see the marsh lands of the Whangamarino drained, ; but due precaution wants to be taken that no damage is done elsewhere. If the river level was lowered 6ft. from low summer level at Meicer, a number of the most important tributaries would be rendered

unnavigable. I notice that Mr Dean has com- • pared the swamps above Mercer to ; the Otaua lands, and that he had i soon the water above the land only , kept out by banks. There is really no anology, because the water, for at least 18 out of 24 hours, is anything up to sft. below the land at Otaua—in fact' it is only at spring tide that it gets over it at all—while above Mercer the level varies very slowly and is sometimes many months in the year feet over the land. Swamp land in a tidal area is comparatively easy to drain, but other methods have to be found to reclaim land outside the influence of the tide. Many people who know the Waikato river are of the opinion that tho narrow portions of the river between

Tuakau and Mercer to a great extent hold the water back during floods, as thoy are only one quarter as wide as the average width of tho river for nearly 30 miles above Mertor. If simli variations in width ocrurred in a drain, tho remedy would be obviHiiMiiyiMiiiNtai

been 10 visible results ytt in the lowtriug of the water level from any of the River Board's groynes. And, as there is likely to be a controversy in the near future, in fairness to the Board's ratepayers and the general public, the Waterways Commission ought to get to work so that the whole matter should be fully and freely discussed.—Yours, etc., EDWARD T. FROST.