DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY: SWAMP DRAINAGE. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1918, TOGETHER WITH STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1918 Session I-II, C-04

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Session 11. 1918. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY: SWAMP DRAINAGE. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1918, TOGETHER WITH STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly pursuant to Section 13 of the Swamp Drainage Act, 1915.

Sir, — Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, Ist June, 1918. In pursuance of section 13 of the Swamp Drainage Act, 19.15, I forward herewith the report of the Chief Drainage Engineer upon the operations carried out under the above Act for the past year, together with a statement of accounts. I have, &c, T. N. Brobrick, Under-Secretary. The Hon. D. H. Guthrie, Minister of Lands.

REPORT BY CHIEF DRAINAGE ENGINEER. Sir, — 1 have the honour to submit annual reports on .the three areas proclaimed under the Swamp Drainage Act, 1.915. No new areas have been proclaimed during the past year. Kaitaia Drainage Area (39,665 Acres). Throughout the early part of the year very little work of any description could be done on account of the excessive rainfall. Floods in quick succession caused, all low-lying areas to be inundated for several months, and the districts at Waipakauri and Awanui suffered severely. However, the good effect of the river-clearing done during the preceding year was noticed, particularly around Kaitaia, where the river returned to normal level within a few days after the rain ceased. Taking into account the fact that the entire district has had a record rainfall, the already good results of river-clearing are a foretaste of the ultimate success of the scheme. During October a rain-gauge was installed at Kaitaia, and the total rainfall registered from the Ist November to the 31st March was 15-26 in. The works have also been handicapped by the inability of obtaining sufficient first-class labour. It is hoped that in the coming year the employment of Jugo-Slavs will materially help to solve this problem. The works carried out are as follows :— River Clearing and Snagging. —The entire river from Kaitaia to Awanui, a distance of 15| miles, has been cleared of logs and stumps, thus enabling a free passage at all times up and down the river. The work was carried out by bullock teams. River-diversions. —Four cuts were commenced during the year, all of which should be ready to open shortly. Two cuts were carried out by day labour, and up to date 11,350 cubic yards of spoil have been removed. Much wheelbarrow work was necessary owing to the soft and boggy nature of the under clays. One cut is being carried out by contract, and so far 3,347 cubic yards have been shifted. The remaining cut was only started towards the end of the year, but should not take long to finish, as it follows an old watercourse for the greater part of its length. Pukepoto Drains, Waihoe Lake Outlet. —Throughout the winter the lake kept at unprecedented high levels, with flood-waters from the Pukepoto watershed and overflow from the Kaitaia River. The old outlet of 6 ft. was inadequate to cope with the flow, and this has been widened to 14 ft. Not only will this allow the Pukepoto waters to get away quickly, but it will also allow the lake to become a storage reservoir for floods on the Kaitaia River, preventing floods reaching Awanui in too

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great a volume until other relief works are opened at the lower end. The good effect of this enlarged drain can be judged by the fact that the swamp, which was thigh-deep when widening was commenced, is now quite dry. The length of the drain is 51| chains. Pukepoto Main Drain. —The main lake drain, carrying the surface water from the Pukepoto Hills, has been widened and deepened for 61 chains, 38 chains of which is 15 ft. wide and the balance 13 ft. Sixty-five chains of drain was cleaned and deepened to carry the water of the main drain while the work of clearing and widening the main drain is being carried out. Length of drains cleaned and widened, 164J chains. Willow-destruction above Kaitaia. —As a preliminary measure to clearing the river above Kaitaia, willows along the banks were ringbarked and poisoned for a distance of about seven miles. The willows are now showing a dying appearance, but the effect will not be very marked until next season. Pontoon-building. —The dredge-pontoon has been completed and launched, and is now ready for the machinery. The coal-pontoon was also built and launched. Arrangements are being made for timber to build pontoon for use on Whangatane overflow. Machinery. —Owing to war exigencies it has been found impossible so far to obtain delivery of the Priestman grab dredging machinery. This plant is now eighteen months overdue. Inquiries are being made in the Dominion and overseas for similar plant to place on Whangatane overflow. Surveys and Levels.— All river cuts were pegged at every chain level and made ready for scooping. Number of cuts, 28 ; total length, 140 chains. Surveys for taking land for diversions under the Public Works Act were also made, entailing running of fresh traverses on account of work destroyed during snagging operations. In all about six miles of river and connections were traversed. A start was made with the survey of the spillway via Whangatane Swamp. Five miles of theodolite traverse and fifteen miles of levels and checks were run. All the swamp portions of the spillway are now completed. The following summary shows at a glance the various works carried out : Deepening, widening, and cleaning drains, chains; spoil shifted, river cuts, 14,697 cubic yards; snagging river, 15J miles ; willow-destruction, 7 miles ; number of river cuts pegged, 28 ; total length cuts pegged, 140 chains ; river traverse, 6 miles ; theodolite traverse, 5 miles ; compass traverse, 6 miles ; levels taken, 15 miles. Works Expenditure for the Year. —The total expenditure for the year was £6,039 15s. 9d., including wages, war bonus, supplies, hire of horses and bullock teams, and expenses generally. Of this amount £3,928 3s. 7d. was paid out of Imprest Account. Day labour amounted to £2,442 13s. Id., team-hire £1,234 9s. 5d., piecework contracts £20 45., and management and engineering expenses £539 15s. dd. The officer in charge is Mr. R. J. Cornwell, Assistant Land Drainage Engineer. Poukawa Lake Drainage Area (13,567 Acres). The works have again been in abeyance during the year on account of the impossibility of obtaining the dredge ordered from England, and difficulty encountered in coming to arrangements with the Native owners of Poukawa Reserve. As these people would not come to terms, it was decided to close down all work pending a suitable arrangement for acquisition of land being made. So far this has not been achieved. The plant has been in charge of an overseer, and a daily reading of the rise and fall in the lakelevel has been taken. Daily readings of the rainfall have also been recorded, the total for the year being 44-92 in. The flooded area of the lake, Poukawa and Pakipaki Streams, have been observed and marked, and the outlet of dam at lake-end widened and bagged. The floating plant consists of a pontoon, which is in good order. The buildings comprise office, cookhouse, workmen's quarters, and toolhouse, all of which are in good order. The total expenditure for the year was £1,170 18s. 5d., of which amount £172 3s. was for wages. The balance comprises supplies, &c, the dredge-chutes and engine-house amounting to £446 7s. Engineering and management expenses amounted to £401 2s. 7d. Waihi Drainage Area (22,720 Acres). Work on this swamp has been mainly confined to dredging during the past year, the dredge having now worked its way right down the Kaikokopu Stream to where the stream makes a bend to the eastward, thence cutting a new channel across country into the Maketu Estuary, and continuing down the estuary with a good natural sweep until well out into the defined channel; the last 75 chains of this were completed during the period. As the dredge nearcd the estuary the country became very sandy, and the dredging was necessarily slow. About the end of 1917 very boisterous weather was experienced, the wind and seas being so severe at one time that the mooring-lines of the dredge were broken and the dredge itself lodged high and dry on a sandbank. However, she was towed off at the next high tides, and was little the worse. On completion of the Kaikokopu cut the dredge started back up the Pongakawa Stream to straighten, widen, and deepen the lower reaches, so that on junction with the Kaikokopu Stream a good scour will be set up and all silt coming down the streams will be easily carried away. The total number of cubic yards of spoil shifted by the dredge during the period was 55,538, at a total cost of £1,058 14s. Bd., averaging 4-57 d. per cubic yard, which must be considered very satisfactory, considering the difficult nature of the dredging and the high cost of material and supplies. In the early part of the year the Mangatoitoi and Kaikokopu Streams, above where the dredge started operations, were snagged and cleaned up thoroughly, a total distance of about six miles being completed. The only other work carried out on the swamp was the construction of an outlet drain from Section 11 to the Kaikokopu cut, being approximately 40 chains in length. Summary of Operations. —Spoil excavated by dredge, 55,538 cubic yards ; river snagging and clearing, 6 miles ; outlet drain, 40 chains.

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Expenditure for the Year —The total expenditure for the year was £1,835 18s. 7d. : of this amount £1,015 Os. 3d. was paid out of Whakatane imprest. Day labour amounted to £1,000 12s. 5d., and management and engineering expenses to £401 2s. 7d. General. —The officer in charge is Mr. J. H. Treseder, Land Drainage Engineer. As in other cases, the exigencies of the war has prevented giving effect to the proposed development scheme, but with the employment of Jugo-Slav labour it will be possible to place much more work in hand. I have, &c, J. B. Thompson, The Under-Secretary for Lands, Wellington. Chief Drainage Engineer.

Statement op Transactions during the Year ended 31st March, 1918. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. Balance brought forward at Ist April, 1917 4,43.5 0 8 Kaitaia Drainage District — £ s. d. £ s. d. Debentures issued under Swamp Land Drainage-works, stop-banks, Drainage Act — clearing channels, and No. 4 loan .. .. .. 5,000 0 0 other expenditure mci No. 5 loan .. .. . . 5,000 0 0 dental to drainago operations, including wages and supplies .. .. 4,507 Hi :i Machinery, plant, &c. .. 992 4 2 Management and engineering expenses .. .. 539 15 4 6,039 15 9 Waihi Drainage District— Drainage-works, stop-banks, clearing channels, and other expenditure incidental to drainago operations, including wages and supplios . . .. I , 398 2 3 Machinery, plant, &o. .. 28 1 6 Management and engineering expenses .. .. 409 14 10 1,835 18 7 Poukawa Drainage District— Drainage-works, stop-banks, clearing channels, and other expenditure incidental to drainago operations, including wagos and supplies . . .. 303 8 10 Machinery, plant, &c. .. 40(i 7 0 Management and engineering expenses .. .. 401 2 7 1,170 18 5 Cost of printing debentures .. .. 0 7 0 Cash in hand at 31st March, 1918 .. 5,388 (ill £14,435 6 8 £14,435 6 8 Balance-sheet. Liabilities. £ s. d. Assets. Debentures issued under the Act .. 21,000 0 0 Kaitaia Drainage District — £ s, d. £ s. d. Interest paid out of Consolidated Fund .. 663 10 8 Drainage-works Account.. 8,793 7 8 Public Works Fund—Land Improvement Interest Account (provote .. .. .. .. 5,381 7 0 portion chargeable to district) .. .. 353 210 Machinory, plant, &c. .. 1,090 0 0 10,236 10 6 Waihi Drainage District — Drainage-works Account.. 5,811 1 1 Interest Account (proportion chargoablo to district) .. .. 98 13 4 Machinery, plant, &c. .. 2,589 3 9 8,498 18 2 Poukawa Drainago District— Drainage-works Account. . 1,357 0 ll Interest Account (proportion chargeablo to district) .. .. 112 0 6 Machinery, plant, &c. . . 1,352 0 8 2,821 8 1 Swamp Land Drainage Account— Cash in hand .. .. .. 5,388 611 £26,945 3 8 £26,945 3 8 J. H. O'DONNELL, Chief Accountant.

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