WAIKARE DRAINAGE.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 8, Issue 478, 4 November 1919, Page 2

WAIKARE DRAINAGE.

A Profitable Proposition 11,000 Acres Rich Swamp Small Initial Outlay. (Staff Representative). The reclamation of rich virgin soil from various stages of primeval uselessness to the point of production being the most important matter in New Zealand to-day, any helpful suggestions to this end are worthy of the most serious consideration by all who have the welfare of our fertile Dominion at heart. In this connexion a survey of the undeveloped, but potentially rich lands from Ohinewai to Te Kauwhata, is well worthy of attention In this district there exists an area of land of about 11,000 acres in extent, which is more or less subject to prolonged flooding when the Waikato River rises much above its mean level. When it rises a few feet, the Waikato backs up a tributary known as the Oneta Stream, the source of which is Waikare Lake Being of a comparatively shallow depth, and small superficial area, the lake soon fills up, after which stage the water overflows and inundates the greater portion of the large area of low-lying land stretching between Matahura road on the north, to the WhangamarinoJStream on the southern end. This flooding process is of a peculiarly detrimental nature, owing to the circumstance that the Oneta Stream, being but a narrow natural waterway, does not permit of the rapid return of the water to the River when the latter subsides. As a rule, it takes about a fortnight to flood the area, and three or four weeks to clear again, even though the river may he down to normal within a few days. For example, the river level, shortly after a flood, may recede, leaving the level of the lake, which empties into it, several feet above for some weeks, the reason, as stated before, being that the Oneta simply has not the capacity to carry the immense volume of water off the swamp at anything like the rate of fall of the level of the river.

CUEAF AND SIMPLE REMEDY Were there no practicable remedy for such a deplorable condition of affairs, the writing of this article would be so much beating in the air, a useless work, impotent in its conclusion. But, to be sure, the Times has no space to spare for things of neither use nor ornament: our purpose in writing is to help, by all legitimate means, the policy now about to be given effect to for reclamation of these prospectively very desirable lands, composed of rich alluvial soil, which can be made into highly productive dairying and agricultural country. At the present time there is a Government drainage scheme in preparation, under the capable hands of Mr J. B. Thompson, Government Drainage Engineer. It is intended to block the Onet* Stream on the Lake side of the Railway, thus preventing the future backing up of the flood waters into the Waikare Lake and swamp basin. A canal will be cut from the Lake to the Whangamarino Stream, a distance of a little under five miles, which will drain the lake off until it is reduced to a very small lagoon, thus freeing for cultivation a large area now covered by the lake itself, as well as leaving the larger area, from Matahura Road to Whangamarino stream, high and dry. It is a recognised axiom in all drainage schemes that, where feasible, the natural fall of the land should be followed. In this instance it is a particularly happy condition that the fall of the land is distinctly and directly towards the Whanga maiino Stream, there being between the lake and the Whangamarino, a fall of 8 fee" 0 inches in flood periods and 10 feet G inches in the dry season. The existence of a marked fall has been clearly indicated by Nature, the " old man's flood," during the phenomenal rise in 1 907, having washed a course through a metalled portion of the Te KauwhataWaerenga road in its irrestible onward rush to its natural outlet—fhe Whangamarino stream. The fact of this tall as indicated by Nature has been confirmed by the engineering skill of man, the above figures being the result of careful survevs

A NWVhiAIU.E WATERWAY While on the subject of the proposed canal, which will run through good easy country for the greater part of the distance, it may be well to point out that the dredge for the canal work will require to form a channel of from three to four feet in depth to float itself as it goes along, and thid depth of w-iter will be a permanent navigable waterway of great value to the settlers who take up the reclaimed land. In all probability it will be found advisable to carry the canal through the lake, under the lee of the Pukewhau Hill, to the northern extremity, a distance of about four miles, the terminus being anent the Matahura road, and about six miles from the Onhinowa Station. Thus completed, the canal will assist not only the bulk of the settlers, but also the railway, by giving the farmers water carriage for their produce and stores to and from the line. In addition, by tho constant well-defined flow into the Waikato River at Mercer, via tho Whangamarino Stream; it will assist navigation to some extent by helping to scour away the sand. The more tributaries feeding uniformly into the Waikato the better for navigation. Furthermore, this work will morally and materially help the schemo for reclaiming the swamps lower down, at Mercer, but that part is another story, which we hope to tell in the near future

THAl'Tlf ROUTES HEADY We have, in the previous para graph, shewn that the canal will provide the means for water-borne trade More important still, the Main Trunk line runs parallel with the length of the swamp. Also, main roads already exist (although one of tl.em is the infamous Hangiriri roadl Good metalled branch roads are there too. This means that the great problem of transit, which has broken the heart of many a struggling pioneer in New Zealand, is already solved, as far as the Waikare basin is concerned. This factor in itself constitutes a very powerful

argument for the speedy prosecution of the work. The work would materially assist the drainage of privately owned areas further afield. There is also what is considered to be an excellent seam of coal under and above the outer ureas of the lake, and this, no doubt, will be developed some day. RICH ALLUVIAL SOIL The history of all drained New Zealand swamps, ever since the Britisher began to shoulder the white man's burden in these "lovely isles of the Southern peas" goes to prove that all swamp land becomes highly productive, and answers generously to the right treatment. The Waikare swamp is likely to prove more than ordinarily satisfactory, having a negligible area of peat, worth mentioning only for the sake of being absolutely truthful. Almost the whole of it is rich alluvial black soil, composed of the animal, vegetable matter, and silt deposits buried by the successive inunditions during thousands of years. The sub-soil is sand and clay, and therefore there need be no fear of appreciable sinkage. Some idea of its quality may bo gained by quoting a definite case. An adjourning farm, part and parcel of this swamp, and owned by Mr P. Henry, of Ohinewai. and which has yet only beon partially drained, is now undor a beautiful sole of grass. It is now carrying a beast to the acre, and this, without the use of a plow, simply being fired and surface sown with a mixture of English grasses. At the present prices paid, this land would be well within its value at £lO an acre. To l"ok at it, and then gaze around on thousands of acres of equally good soil, now useless because of the absence of drainage, i.° a sight to make gods and men—especially men weep in these days when the Djniinion imperatively needs to produce the uttermost pound of raw materials for export, in order t counterbalance our heavy national indebtedness At least a hundred returned soldiers could be comfortably settled on this area when drained, and, as stressed abovp, there would be none of the usual grievances about lack of communications.

' THE FUTURE I.V THE DIBTAXCE."

When one has acquired a comprehensive grasp of the position, one marvels that so targe a tract of potentially fertile land should have lain idle all these years, when, by a comparatively small outlay, such handsome returns could be netted for all time. The canal, with one or two necessary bridges and stop banks, would probably cost less than £IO,OOO, and yet the land reclaimed, •.. hich would be immediately available for cultivation and be sown in grass after a sligh f preparatory burning off the rushes and other swamp growth?, would within a few years be worth half a million ! It is safe to say that there is no other land proposition between Wellington and Auckland which would give such ready and large profits for the ex penditure. The running off of the lake would be merely a matter of a day or eo, and after that the only water to be taken away would be the natural percolation through the swamp and the {catchment rainwater, unless ia the event of another " old man's flood," such as that of 1907 which visitations cannot be provided against. With the Oneta stream blocked, that and the stjpbauks would ensure absolute safety from any ordinary ilood. Were the swamp owned by a private syndicate it would start on the draiuage with all possible speed ; but, unfortunately, it is nearly all Crown land. We havo reason to believe th it the Ministers of the day fully appreciate the splendid asset in prospect, but, alas ! Ministers are often obliged to sacrifice a good proposition becauso all available funds are wrenched from them by powerful pressure from a thousand sources for expenditure on less lucrative schemes However, the light of a brighter dawn is already breaking in the eastern sky, and creeping over the Haupuaukohe Ranges and across the grey waters of Lake Waikare. Before long we shall see the existing villages expanding and new ones springing up, with their schools, commercial houses and other institutions indicative of progress and prosperity flowing from well-pastured farms and comfortable homesteads. When good work is done the beneficent har "est will be such that none will dare gainsay the wisdom of those responsible for the sanction thereof. To whom it is due, honour will be given. I