MID-CANTERBURY IRRIGATION

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27639, 21 April 1955, Page 5

MID-CANTERBURY IRRIGATION

RECORD QUANTITY OF WATER USED

Record quantities of water had been used ’on the Mid-Canterbury irrigation schemes during the last 10 days, said Mr O. D. Riddell, irrigation superintendent for the Ministry of Works, yesterday. On the Ashburton-Lyndhurst scheme, the main race had been flowing to its full capacity of 400 cusecs and up to 1200 acres were being irrigated by farmers daily. The total amount of water used on this scheme for the season now exceeds 30,000 acre-feet, while on the previous best season only 22,000 acre-feet were used. The amount of water used on the Mayfield-Hinds scheme was double that of last year, said Mr RiddelL Quite rapid expansion was being obtained in that area. The completion of the scheme was being pushed along as rapidly as the manpower position allowed, and another block would be reticulated for the coming season. The Ministry of Works border-dyke land preparation for farmers had been completed for the season and the acreage levelled was also a record for ally one year. Mr Riddell said that the particularly dry season had contributed materially to the records in irrigation, but the area now border-dyked in Mid-Can-terbury, about 16,000 -acres, showed that farmers were confident that the use of water in dry times would allow greatly increased stocking rates and was a good permanent investment.