Irrigation information

Press, 6 November 1984, Page 42

Irrigation information

Irrigation has been suggested almost since settlement started on the Canterbury Plains as a way of overcoming droughts in Canterbury. According to a guide prepared by the Winchmore Irrigation Research Station of the M.A.F., plans for the irrigation of parts of Canterbury had been made since 1865, but it was not until the 1930 s that any definite move was made. The Ministry of Works and Development estimates there are 150,000 ha of irrigated land in Canterbury today and there is potential for about another 450,000 ha. The “Waters of Canterbury” exhibition at the Canterbury show will contain information and displays on irrigation. An experimental area to investigate irrigation

responses was run by the Ashburton County Council from 1887 to 1890 on the Elgin Block Reserve, in the Wakanui district. Water from stock races was used to irrigate hay, clover, root and grain crops on 28ha of light, stony land, with very satisfactory results. Following these experiments, the Ashburton County Council engineer, Mr William Baxter, proposed three schemes in 1891 to irrigate part of mid-Canter-bury. However, none of these schemes was adopted. No major moves were made in irrigation until the 1930 s when the Canterbury Progress League pressed the Government into setting up an irrigation farm on Crown land at Seafield. Other experiments were done at Hororata, Motukarara, Southbridge and .Oxford. Construction of the Rangitata Diversion race started

in 1935, which provided much-needed employment during the depression years, as did reticulation of the Ashburton-Lyndhurst scheme. Most of the initial work was done by hand, but eventually earth-moving work was imported, speeding up the work and lowering the cost. The levels scheme was opened in December, 1936, but a succession of wet years with rainfall up to 1000 mm per year meant that water was not used extensively until 1939. Water became available from the Redcliff scheme in 1937. The Rangitata diversion race and the AshburtonLyndhurst scheme were opened in June, 1945, and water became available from the Mayfield-Hinds scheme in 1948.