GOOD PROGRESS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 36, 26 January 1932, Page 5

GOOD PROGRESS

MEEANEE DEWATERING SCHEME BRINGING LAND INTO PRODUCTIVITY WORK INSPECTED Good progress is being made with the Meeanee dewatering scheme, and to bring into ocenpation the McDonald block, which hitherto has been subject to tid»l inflow. It is hoped that when the scheme is in operation a satisfactory drainage will be provided for all the area, which was adversely affected due to the change in levels caused by the earthquake. For a number of years Mr. N. P. Ericksen, member of the H.B. County Council, has endeavoured to have the drainage of this area of over 3000 acres carried out, and after considerable negotiations succeeded in having a dewatering scheme undertaken. The scheme was well advanced at the time of the earthquake but, owing to the uplift of about 5 feet near the outlet, considerable additional excavation was found necessary. A motor excavator was engaged by the Council to make further excavations to the main eanal, but, owing to the unstable foundations of the swampy ground, this plant was able to complete not more than half of the work that it was engaged to do. Since then the work has been carried on by the unemployed, and good progress has been made. INSPECTION OF SCHEME. This morning, Mr. G. Latham, member of the Napier unemployment committee, and Mr. A. Loudoun, a wellknown were shown over the scheme by Mr. Ericksen. . Both expressed themselves as very satisfied, and were most optimistic regarding the productivity of the land being re. claimed, the greater portion of which belongs to the Napier Harbour Board. The main canal, which is over 100 chains in length, will tap the Tannery Creek, conveying the water to the pumping station at the Taradale road. To date about 70 chains of the canal have been completed to its full width of about 10ft., but over the remainder of the length, an emergency drain has been cut to cope with any heavy rain that may occur before the canal can be completed. tO UNEMPLOYED ENGAGED* TO-DAY. To-day, about twenty unemployed men were engaged on the main canal work, which it is hoped to have completed in about three weeks’ time. At present the Tannery Creek remains banked off so that the work of excavating may be proceeded with more easily. In the case of emergency, relief could be given immediately. This morning, levels taken showed that when the work is completed there will be a lowering in the level of the water in the Tannery Creek up to 2ft. Bin., which will have the effect of completely draining the whole of the Meeanee district and prevent largo areas of valuable land from being flooded with surface water. RECLAMATION OF 600 ACRES. A further valuable aspect of the scheme is the reclamation of over 600 acres of land, 500 of which belongs to the Harbour Board, 44 acres to the Napier Borough Council, and two smaller areas privately owned. Hitherto this area, for the greater part of the year, has been a big lake subject to tidal inflow. With the cutting of the eanal the whole area has been drained, the water in the canal being over four feet below the level of the land. Under the scheme of dewatering it is anticipated that the water will be maintained at this level, which will enable the whole area to be effectively drained all through the year. A long transverse subsidiary drain has been dug across the block, marking the alignment of Kennedy road extension direct with the woolwash at Greenmeadows. This drain is proposed to be a road drain, the soil excavated being used in the formation of the road. As the scheme is extended further subsidiary drains are to be made so as to provide drainage for surface water from all parts of the area. Much of the soil is very fertile, and once the salt is worked out it should become highly productive. MOST ENCOURAGING. The area which has been subject to fresh water Aince being drained is now growing a sward of green, which is most encouraging. The question of bringing this area into occupation is in the hands of a special committee of the Harbour Board, who propose, as soon as possible, to carry out some experiments with suitable grasses and clovers. Without the dewatering scheme, however, this large area of Harbour Board endowment could not bo made available For this work tribute is due to the enterprise and courage of Mr. Eriksen in his endeavours to have this most important scheme put into operation. Last spring, Mr. Hamlin, who owns an area in the dewatered block close to tho Taradale road, planted a portion in pumpkins, which have done quite well, and there is no reason why the same successful results should not bo achieved over the whole of the reclaimed area. _ J .