A GROWING MENACE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 67, 18 March 1916, Page 9

A GROWING MENACE.

FLOODS IN THE WAIKATO. >"EED FOR ENGINEERING WORK. HON. R. McNAB'S VISIT. AX IMPORTANT UNDERTAKING. The Minister for Marine, the Hon. K. iMeNab leaves on Monday next on a two-days' tour of the Waikato River, in order that he may become personally acquainted with the work of the Waikato River Board. The Minister leaves Huntly on Monday morning, and travels as far as Mercer. Tuesday will be epent in travelling down the lower reaches of the river. The need for employing the best engineering skill in immediately dealing with the river problem has been insistently sounded by Mr. A. O. C. Glass, chairman of the Waikato River Board. That the position steadily grows worse is indicated by the fact a petition has recently been sent into the Board by steamer and launch owners, stating that under the silting up process the river between Huntly and Mercer is becoming almost impassable for traffic. The petitioners urged that the proposed improvements on the higher levels should bo carried out at once. The Board decided to communicate with the Hon. Dr. Me-, Nab, and urged that the Minister should pay a personal visit and see for himself what a deplorable condition the river is in. 'From the Board r s chairman, and the secretary (Mr. E. Hallett) a considerable amount of interesting information has been gathered. A GROWING MENACE. ! Six years ago the necessity for taking action to cope with the growing menace forced itself on the noticy of the settlers, and a Drainage Board was established. This organisation first concentrated on two objectives—draining the low-lying lands in Central Waikato, and minimising the damage caused by floods. Sir Joseph Ward was at the time Minister for Lands, and he placed £300 on the Estimates in order that the Board should engage the services of Mr. W. Breakell, C.E., who had previously done such good work on the Kauraki and Shannon drainage schemes.

■ -Mr. Breakell reported that the work I could be carried out by means of groins ,to (.onnne the river, and that a fall at ! Mercer of at least lift could be obtained. • A River , Board was then formed and a ; grant of £2000 was again given" by Sir I <>oviph Ward to commence the work. ; Before starting, the iioar.i decided to I consult Mr. C. D. Kennedy, C.E., of . nauke'd Bay. a recognised authority on ; this class of work in the Dominion. He j rej)ortcd that the scheme was perfectly J feasible and could be carried out, and that the whole trouble was between Oteata (four miles from the mouth of the river) and Kaitangata, a distance of six mues. Mr. Kennedy added that, when this portion of the work was com- | pletcd, the fall are Mercer would be at ! !ea.« two feet; how much more he could j not state until he saw what effect the first "groin" had on the sand forming I the bed of the river. On hie next visit ■he reported the effect of the work done j had exceeded his expectations, and he I would double his estimate of the fall, ! making it four feet on the section menj tioned. Rt. Hon. Mr. Massey had meanI time come into office, and at his request ! the Government Engineer made a re- ! port, which had the effect of stopping I the whole work. New levels and surveys 1 were undertaken costing nearly £3000, j and an error was discovered in Mr. Breakell's levels between Lapwood's mill and Mercer. A Commission of Engineers was to have been set up, but on j receiving the Government Engineer's re- ■ port, the Minister for Lands refused j either to set up a commission or subei- ! disc the work, and suggested the Board; should borrow money themselves before applying for a grant. FURTHER EXPERT OPINION". The Board decided before borrowing to consult Mr. Kennedy again. He addressed the settlers at Mercer, and pointed out that the error in the levels of two feet occurred above KaJCsajeta, and the work he had laid off was not affected, and that after going carefully over the old and new levels, he could se» no reason to alter his opinion. Mr. Kennedy further -maintained that by carrying out the works between Kaitangata and Oteata a fall of three feet could be obtained and another foot between Kaitangata and Mercer, making 4ft altogether. Moreover, in emphasising the urgency of the work, he pointed out that if no action was taken the settlers could only expect things to go from bad to worse; navigation would be hindered, and floods become higher and last longer. The work, be said, would have to be done some day, and if it would pay to do it at some future date, it would pay a great deal better to do it now, and get the increased value of the land which would follow. The Board, by an overwhelming majority, approved a loan of £6000 to carry out this first portion of the work, and the contract is now nearly completed. Although the Board has applied for a subsidy, no answer has yet been received from the Minister. The work flow nearly completed extends from the Devil's Elbow to Oteata, a distance of six miles, and is the heaviest and most important of the three sections between the bar and Mercer. NATURE OF THE WORK. The cost of this section will be about £6000, which is considerably under the estimated cost. The Tuakau section has been completed during the winter months, while waiting for fine weather in Miora Bay. About another £7000 or £9000 will probably bring the works to Mercer. From there to Raneiriri no estimate has yet been made. The work is carried out in the following manner: In Miora Bay, where willows will not grow, piles are driven close together, to confine the ,-iver to a uniform channel. The other parts of the river are more simply dealt with. Piles are driven in two rows, about five feet apart, and filled in with willow branches, wired together. When tne willows grow nothing can shift it, and the travelling sand can get behind the groins. Large areas will be reclaimed by this method, which is also exceptionally cheap, as the piles can be secured near the work close to the river, and the willows are simply chopped right on to the pontoons which are tied up underneath and towed down to the groins by the Board's steam launch.