BUCKLEY DRAINAGE BOARD.

Shannon News, 13 March 1928, Page 2

BUCKLEY DRAINAGE BOARD.

DEEPENING AND BANKING THE KOPUTAROA.

! A meeting of the trustees of the Buckley Drainage Board was held at Shannon on Saturday, when a scheme submitted by Mr 11. R, Farquhar, for deepening and banking' the Koputaroa stream by using the Makerua Drainage Board’s floating dredge, came before them for consideration. Present: Mr R. Waring Taylor (chairman), Trustees R. Law, W. Speirs, J. Edginton and H. Easton.

After discussing the scheme it was decided not to adopt it, the objection being that by using a dredge the stream would become too wide, thus causing it to silt up, thereby making the future maintenance costly. Trustee Law then moved that the work of deepening and banking the Koputaroa stream be carried out on the lines of Mr Hay’s scheme, with any necessary modifications. The works proposed in this scheme are first to cut a central ditch 5 feet wide lowering the bottom of the stream an average of 3ft 3in. This work will involve the excavation of 4000 yards of material which can be done by hand labour by damming the stream temporarily and deviating the flow through lateral drains or ponding the water above the railway bridge. Next to construct five floodgates at the outlet of lateral drains —two on the right bank of the stream and three on the left. These floodgates would prevent floodwaters .backing up the lateral drains and flooding adjacent lands. On each side of the stream stopbauks are to be erected at the height of the railway embankment and connecting to fhe stopbauks at the floodgate. These stopbauks are 50ft apart and the material for constructing them is to be taken from the river side so that the area of waterway will be enlarged and; the shape of the channel improved. On the right bank the stppbank will branch off at an angle—as it does now and join high ground at the railway, saving about 40 chains of stopbank. These stopbauks will average 4 feet high, the quantity of material required for banks 3 feet wide on top is 16,000 yards. To give access across the channel a 40ft light traffic bridge will be required, me estimated cost of the whole sclreme is £2500 plus contingencies and engineering £445.

Discussion followed as to the advisability of dealing with the deepening and banking by separate loans and each being let in small contracts. In regard lo the latter it was po.nted out that with the number of men available the work could be done almost as quickly as with a dredge, also that there were plenty of men who would take a small strip, but would not risk the whole lot. Finally, it was resolved to consider a motion at a meeting on March 28tlx at 10.30 a.m. to apply to the Local Government Loans Board for its sanction to the borrowing of the sum of £2OOO for the purpose of banking the Koputaroa stream, the rate to be struck on the general classification of the Buckley drainage district; also for the Board’s sanction to the borrowing of £IOOO for the purposes -of deepening the Koputaroa stream, the rate to b<j struck on the classification of the Ko.putaroa subdivision.