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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.