WAIKATO SWAMP LANDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 187, 10 August 1925, Page 10

WAIKATO SWAMP LANDS.

RECLAMATION PROPOSED.

GOVERNMENT ENGINEERSS REPORT.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) HAMILTON, Saturday. Considerable attention has been devoted to the question of the reclamation of the large swamp areas in the South Auckland district. There are thousands of acres lying idle which, if the problem of drainage could be overcome, would enable the production capacity of the province to be materially increased. A comprehensive survey of what is known as the Woodlands swamp area has been carried out by the Government engineers, and their report has now been received by the Hamilton Borough Council. It deals with the swamps in which the Mangarawara River Board and the Eureka, Hillside. Woodlands. Tauhei. Freshfield. Kirikiriroa and Uapoto Drainage Boards are operating. After stating that there are in the area reported on .">7.o£»' acres, in more the half of which th;' consolidation is poor or nil. the report continues: — "There is a big future before this district. When thorougtilv developed it is destined to become a closely-settled dairying area capable of carrying a sow to every two or at the most to every two and a half acres. Tlie value of such an area to the Waikato district and to the Dominion can readily be estimated. "From a drainage point of view the area is very happily situated. It extends up to the watershed between the Waikato and Piako Rivers. and consequently there is no 'foreign" water to contend with. There i- ample fall for all drainage purposes, and the scheme presents no engineering difricculties." The report goes on to deal with the various falls, etc.. and supplies. A summary of the costs as follows: — Manjrawara River £15.000 Tauhei Stream l."i.r>oo Komakornu Stream * 4..M10 Ten-font 1U..100 Knstern Outlet IS.IHMI Central Outlet lo.oou I'apoto Outlets IL'.OOO Luke Outlet 4.000 "S" Drain 1'..">00 Telephone Drain :i.Sf)o Mommnoho Outlet -.•J.Vi Tauhei Main Drain 4.3U0 Additional Outlets 22.1mhi Compensation 3..">fK) Lxtrns and Engineering L'o.9su f102,000 Note.—lnterest and maintenance charges are not included in the above figures. Compensation will possibly amount to £30.000. "This expenditure." continubs the report, "will be spread over a period of, say, ten years, by which time the whole of the area should be carrying a sole of grass of sufficient quality to warrant dairying. The maintenance of these works will necessitate an annual expenditure of £3000. "With efficient drainage works in operation there seems to be no reason why the greater portion of the area should not be in reasonably good pasture within three or four years, and the remainder, within, say. eight years. In the deep peat areas, as can be imagined, the run off is small, and an occasional flooding does little or no permanent damage. In these areas it i« therefore unnecessary to excavate the initial drains to full widths, but the depths must be maintained. "The control of the area to-day is vested in the Mangawara River Board and the Uapoto. Tauhei. Woodlands. Hillside, and Eureka drainage districts. Each of these lxiard= operates over various portions of the area, and in addition there are odd section* with no drainage control. Under this muchdivided control uniform and economical progress and an equitable distribution of the costs is impossible. The district will warrants development, and if this development is to be carried out in an efficient manner it is essential that the whole area should bo under one control, and would would strongly recommend action being taken in that direction." In its application of the scheme, as outlined by the engineers will mean that most of the water lying in what is known as the Ruakura Swamp will be carried generally north either into the Komakorau Stream or the Tauhei Stream —that west of the Eureka station to the former, and that to the east, with the exception of a comparatively small area, which will go down what is called the Motumaoho outlet to the Waitakarurn. into the Tauhei. The eastern outlet is a most important development, being practically a new canal It will take water from some of the deepest peat land in the area, and afford relief to a large area of land which is in srreat need of development in the Woodlands and Tauhei Boards' districts. The "Ten Foot" drain extension is one .which also will traverse much of the deeper peat country, relieving a wast area in the Woodland* Drainage and the Mangawara River Districts.