IRRIGATION WORK

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 41, 27 November 1937, Page 8

IRRIGATION WORK

ASHBURTON COUNTY.

MAYFIELD-HINDS DISTRICT. WATER FOR 54,000 ACRES. EMPLOYMENT OF 120 MEN. COMPLETION IN THREE YEARS. (Special to the “ Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, November 20. An expenditure of £322,000 is involved in the new irrigation scheme which the Government proposes to start in the Mayfield-Hinds area in Mid-Canterbury. This scheme, according to an announcement which was, made to-day by the Minister for Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple), will supply water for 54,000 acres. “Construction work has now been authorised on the Mayfield-Hinds irrigation scheme, situated in Ashburton County,” said the Minister. “This scheme covers a large area of the Canterbury Plains lying between the Rangitata and Hinds Rivers, and extending from Mayfield, near the foothills, to Lowclift'e, near the sea. The area of 1 land commanded by the scheme is 108,444 acres, and it is a portion of 460,000 acres of land which will be served by the Rangitata diversion race authorised about a year ago. “The Rangitata diversion .race, already under construction, will divert 1000 cusecs of water from the Rangitata River and will be a source of supply for five large projected schemes in Ashburton County. The Mayfield-Hinds irrigation scheme is the second of these schemes to be authorised,- the first section being the Ashburton - Lyndhurst scheme, on which work is proceeding. “Although the area commanded by the Rangitata diversion race is approximately 460,000 acres, it is only intended to supply sufficient water to irrigate simultaneously 210,000 acres, as it is realised that only half of such a large area would require water at one time. In accordance with this poficy, the races on the Mayfield-Hinds scheme are designed to deliver sufficient water to irrigate 54,000 acres out of the 108,000 acres in this scheme. Regulation of Supply. “The scheme will comprise the construction of several main races branching from the Rangitata diversion race and connecting with a network of distributaries, laterals, and feeder races designed to deliver the water to every farm.in the area. The supply will be regulated by numerous head-gates situated at the junction of various races, and .racemen will be appointed whose duty it will be to ascertain the farmers’ requirements 48 hours in advance, and from the compilation of the figures supplied to regulate the gates to supply the wate,r at the places and times required. “The scheme is to he constructed with the aid of the most modern earth-moving machinery and. the estimated cost is £328,000, or £6 an acre over the 54,000 acres supplied. This cost includes a sum of £34,000, being the proportion of the cost of the Rangitata diversion race chargeable to the scheme. The total race excavation will amount to 900,000 cubic yards, and in addition approximately 3000 special concrete structures will be required to provide head-gates, turn-outs, drops, and measuring devices for the control of the water, and bridges to enable roads and farmers’ entrances to cross the races. “The work, it is estimated, will take three years to complete, and by that time it is expected that the Rangitata diversion race will also he completed. One hundred and twenty men will be employed, being drivers of the special earth-moving machinery and men for the construction of the special concrete structures.”