THE FLOODING IN SEADOWN DISTRICTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21090, 16 July 1938, Page 18

THE FLOODING IN SEADOWN DISTRICTS

To the Editor of “ The Timaru Herald " Sir,—Rotary members no doubt must have been very depressed after Mr C. E. Kerr’s talk to them at their luncheon on Tuesday last. The picture he drew for them of the sodden condition of the land in the Washdyke and Seadown districts, together with the plight of the settlers lost nothing in the telling. What Mr Kerr did not tell them was that the probable establishing cause of the waterlogged condition of the districts was undoubtedly due to the wild flooding indulged in by a number of farmers during the dry spell last summer. If Mr Kerr would like proof of this he can get it in the Washdyke district, where it can be shown spring water was rising as far back as January last and well before the dry spell was broken. Spring water at that time of the year had never previously been known. Quite a few farmers carried out wild flooding on land in no way suitable for that class of irrigation, the i result being that they now want the Council to find money to get rid of surplus water put there mainly by their own efforts. Could Mr Kerr ,say how many tons of water came through the intake for distribution last rummer?

Every inch of water spread over an acre represents 100 tons and what is not absorbed must go somewhere. Mr Kerr has visions that when the giganticcanal, as he terms it, is finished, there will be pastures lovely to behold, where there is now bog. My vision of the complete canal is that it will only be a glorified and expensive paddling pool for swamp hens. If Mr Kerr says the canal is going to be the success he claims for it, why was the same procedure not carried out at the neighbouring Otipua lagoon? Evidently it was thought that a canal alone would be useless to drain that small area, so a veritable network of underground drains were, I understand, put in. Even so, after the last heavy rains the Otipua lagoon still looked a lagoon to me. Washdyke and Seadown land could be much improved if paddocks were madesmaller with a proper system of ditching, and at less cost than a canal which may or may not function—l am. etc., D. M. ANDERSON. Washdyke, July 15.