WAIMAKARIRI-ASHLEY WATER SUPPLY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6074, 11 January 1898, Page 1

WAIMAKARIRI-ASHLEY WATER SUPPLY.

•- ■ EXTENSION OF WATER-RACES. Owing to the protracted drought, the farmers in the Oxford, West Eyreton, Mandeville and Swannanoa districts have been making strenuous efforts of late to hastsn tho extension of the present waterrace - system. The services of a capable staff, under the direction of Mr Ct. P. Williams, M.1.C.E., have been engaged, and for somo time past the works liave been pushed on as rapidly as possible. The district; watered by races completed aud in course of progress is a large and important one, and comprises about 150,000 acres. As many of the farmers depend largely for their profits upon the sale of freezing lambs, it is absolutely essential, that the ewes should have access to water when rearing the lamb 3, and the members of the Water Supply Board have shown that they are fully alive to the important responsibility which has devolved upon them. A representative of this journal has just returned from a visit to tho district, and now records the progress of tho various works up to date. There are two main sources of supply. One intake, from Cooper's Creek, about four miles above Oxford, takes the water from a creek near the bush on the hillside, aud conveys it through tho Oxford townships and suburbs as far as Starvation Hill, and is practically incapablo of any important extension. The other is the main system, the intake of which is at Brown's Rock, on the Waimakariri River, and it may be mentioned that there is no outcrop of rock lower down. This is the race, the head works of which were opened by •Mr Seddon about a year ago. The tunnel at Brown's Rock has already been described in this jourral, but to give an adequate idea of the locality and of the amount of water carried by the race, it may be said that a tunnel is cut through solid rock at an angle of the river, and that the stream of water thus obtained at present measures 6ft in breadth by 2ft 6in in depth. This race supplies tho large and important district lying between the rivers Ashley and Waimakariri, but the river Eyre, which splits the district 'in two, can hardly bo reckoned a water supply, as it is generally dry in summer. The main channel is benched out of the terrace for abcut three miles, and proceeds through various cuttings for another mile, when it emerges on the open plain and takes a sharp turn northwards through tho manuka scrub country for another three miles and a half, when it is separated by sluice-gates into two main channels. The upper one continues northwards, crosses the river Eyre in a flume, and commanding all the levels to the eastward of its course, skirts round the eastern base of Starvation Hill, where' it separates into numerous small channels, watering Ellis's Plat, the works for which races are now in in progress. It also supplies the district from the Upper Cust through Carlton as far as the North Mopralri Downs. These latter branches are partly completed, and the surveys of the remaining work proposed have been completed, and tenders will be called for the various contracts in about a week. The farthest point at present reached by the race water of this portion of the system is the eastern end of Mr Blunden's estate, towards the Cust village. The other main channel, which supplies ihe nioisk important portion of the district, runs "through the mamika scrub country for three or four miles and then turns northwards along Wolf's Road as far as the Eyre River, which it crosses by a flume about four miles lower down the river, than the flume which crrries the other branch before mentioned. It then crosses the old river-bed of the Eyre and is carried tinder the Kaiapoi-Eyreton Railway by means of a concrete culvert. Just before reaching this culvert, however, the water is running in a completed branch which runs eastwards through West Eyreton, as far as Chapman's boundary road, running parallel with the Eyreton railway. At Poyntzys Road the main channel divides into two streams, one of 'which runs towards the South Moeraki Downs, and after going about, two miles empties itself into Hunter's Creek ; the other and more important stream runs eastward for about twelve miles through a large farming district, including the properties of Messrs^Horrell, Buss, Burgin, and the Messrs Chapman, to the eastern" boundary of the district across the Two-chain and No. 10 roads. This stream divides on its course into two other branches, one running from Mr Buss's paddocks towards Springbank, and the other from Mr Walter Chapman's property in a more southerly direction through East Eyreton. This latter was made by some half-dozen settlers, each of whom completed the work through his own property, the Board constructing the necessary fords across the roads. " These are the principal races already constructed in which there is now an abundant flow of water. On account of the unusual dryness of the season the advance of the water into the districts mentioned has been watched by the farmers with intense interest and anxiety during the past few months, and numerous applications for minor branches and extensions are being made every week. During the past two months the water has been led to the end of the district from the sluice-gate of the main race, a distance of more than twenty miles, and the construction of several of the supply races which branch off has kept pace with the extension of the main race. Mention has been made of settlers making their own races, but the settlers south of the Eyre have carried out this principle on a much larger scale, and have constructed about fifteen miles of race in an easterly direction as far as the eastern boundary of the district, and a fine stream of water is now running through the whole of that district. Messrs M. Dixon, Johnston and others were the main leaders in this enterprise. The Board, with its energetic Chairman (Mr John O'Halloran), is now straining every nerve to remedy the inconveniences suffered by all those farmers who have paid rates for about three years without receiving the benefit of the long-wished-for boon. To show that work is now being rapidly pushed on, contracts for extension of water-races for over thirty-seven miles have beep let during the past two months. The lengths of these races are :— Ellis's Flat branches, 12 miles 61-J- chains ; West Eyreton branches, 10 miles 57 chains; at Horrellville an important concrete culvert under the Eyj-eton railway and six chains of race; two -miles of loop races at Oxford ; and 11 miles 37 chains of the Springbank-Eangiora mam race, which, it is hoped, will enable the water to reach as far as the northern railway hne at Rangiora ' within two months. Besides earthwork, the whole of the various fords, flumes and culverts necessary for the efficient working of these races have either- been constructed or are now in progress. Tenders are now being advertised for the construction of a further length of six miles, which will connect tho waters of the two main channels at Poyntz's road, and tenders will probably be called for the construction of a iurther length of nine miles in the Cust-Carlton district in a week h*om the present time. ' Survey Avork is being pushed on in all directions, and three survey parties have been at woik y in the field.