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    The Soz - Trtii &iar ( Oce-'I'V Drainage: Swamp Scheme

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    adga rwerwe
    The document summarizes a cooperative drainage scheme in the South Maroochy region of Queensland, Australia that used explosives to drain swampland. Bulldozers first cleared vegetation and constructed drainage ditches. When machines could no longer effectively work the lowest areas due to wet, muddy conditions, ammonal explosives were used experimentally with success. Over time, 53 chains (approximately 10 kilometers) were drained through a combination of bulldozing and explosive charges placed against drainage banks. The scheme cost approximately £850 total and benefited over 8,000 acres of former swampland by confining water flow and allowing for agriculture.

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    The Soz - Trtii &iar ( Oce-'I'V Drainage: Swamp Scheme

    Uploaded by

    adga rwerwe
    26 views6 pages
    The document summarizes a cooperative drainage scheme in the South Maroochy region of Queensland, Australia that used explosives to drain swampland. Bulldozers first cleared vegetation and constructed drainage ditches. When machines could no longer effectively work the lowest areas due to wet, muddy conditions, ammonal explosives were used experimentally with success. Over time, 53 chains (approximately 10 kilometers) were drained through a combination of bulldozing and explosive charges placed against drainage banks. The scheme cost approximately £850 total and benefited over 8,000 acres of former swampland by confining water flow and allowing for agriculture.

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    asul24132412-3413415153253-19-49

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    The document summarizes a cooperative drainage scheme in the South Maroochy region of Queensland, Australia that used explosives to drain swampland. Bulldozers first cleared vegetation and constructed drainage ditches. When machines could no longer effectively work the lowest areas due to wet, muddy conditions, ammonal explosives were used experimentally with success. Over time, 53 chains (approximately 10 kilometers) were drained through a combination of bulldozing and explosive charges placed against drainage banks. The scheme cost approximately £850 total and benefited over 8,000 acres of former swampland by confining water flow and allowing for agriculture.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    26 views6 pages

    The Soz - Trtii &iar ( Oce-'I'V Drainage: Swamp Scheme

    Uploaded by

    adga rwerwe
    The document summarizes a cooperative drainage scheme in the South Maroochy region of Queensland, Australia that used explosives to drain swampland. Bulldozers first cleared vegetation and constructed drainage ditches. When machines could no longer effectively work the lowest areas due to wet, muddy conditions, ammonal explosives were used experimentally with success. Over time, 53 chains (approximately 10 kilometers) were drained through a combination of bulldozing and explosive charges placed against drainage banks. The scheme cost approximately £850 total and benefited over 8,000 acres of former swampland by confining water flow and allowing for agriculture.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 6

    1949

    SIXTEENTH CONFERENCE

    149

    THE SOZ_TrTII&IAR(~OCE-'I'V*
    SWAMP DRAINAGE
    SCHEME

    Introduction.
    The co-operative effort or; belialf of -t'i'i~civec:lnegrowers on the
    sorstlr I ~ a i ~ofk tlle Maroochy River, referred to as th(: South Maroochy
    Drainage Sriic~ne,is of particular ini:eresi in th:at explosives (obtaiilcd
    from ilrmqr Tlisposalsj 1aa.v~been rased tcr blow cbnnnels through the
    W&, partly tidal, swany, soils.
    The scbenlc was bluepaliated t.werrty-ox~c-:
    years ago by the 1rP"igation
    d'ornmissionr, b a t wa.5 a.b;tndolletf dui: t o ono r%issc?ntingI;zi~illiolder. A
    ch;ixlge of tenure in 1!3-&7 I->ro~~;;ht
    ivttercstctl p:lrties -iogt:l:lrcr :].gain and
    an app-o;a(-h was made to the: loc-3.1 Shirc Cv~racil and thc:
    .. brrigatioaa
    anti Water Supply Commission concernirrg the proyos:tl. l i~csc: l~otbies
    were unahlc: t o commit tl~enrselves,so a ss;nriical:e of twelve canegrc,\.vers
    was for-mecl to launch the scllilerne and bear the 1,rrr~cterrof costs a.nd
    la.bour. I t was registered as the Sonth M;irooctly Swamp 1)r;linage
    Synclicate.
    'The area. directly a l'i'ected is B ,BtiO amcs m:~irtly of pca.ta/ and clay
    lortrns. When drairrcd, tlre are2 will be quite saitabie for the growth
    of most ecoiiomic crops t
    trd wcrnld srrpport ckiiry herds and assuciatetk
    livestock. Tt is sitir;ttt:d i r r a I~erltiof the M:iroochy I{.iver, :i,n<?lis fed
    clreek;: rrnrrling from tire horse-.shoe sl.ray)eii Hli IZli J-Xeights, an
    by
    ;~pj>~jxionate
    area. of 3,500 acres. Thc basic icle:~of thr project. is to
    confirre rill the run-08 wa.tc.r iron1 this arca. to one channel, arid i:lilbs
    elimial;lt:e the prescnt. i3lmost pcremiai watcrlog:ging. Thc task call 11e
    inl:i,giliec"aI~en it is reaIisotl that following +.hi:lowest levels t o the river
    a fall of one foot in 4,000 is ail ihab is ei~cour~tereti.111 tinncs c)f hea.vy
    r:ki-n tlre hack pi-essr-rre from the 1-iver anti the C o d u ~ nCreek 0x1 the?
    o~qxs"i.ebank causes ;L tktarlming, ;rnd wnl:er. up to four fcct deep remains
    over $lie swaxnp for weeks 0x1 i:nct. D~ar-in[;the dry pcriod of the: year,
    a b o ~ i tSepterriher, U0 i.o $Mper cent. of eFre area. is frcrl of surface water.
    B y sunnir~ga cilaszarci not. lec;~than 30 feet wide throllgll the lowest
    level it was felt that. E~cnekitswoultl be iinmedia.te arid l;iskirkg. As1
    arltlil:ioalal rxrecessary p;wt of the project wonltb he the constnrction of
    hanlcs rrlralring a t right arxgles t o tkrc main chnxlnel a.nd y)kr.ced at 1:lae
    lower erad of thc area. lllese ba.ni;s, in cor*jnnction wit11 flootll gatcs,
    wo~altishrd- out the tide and errsirrt: that the savamy rcrxl-olf be kept
    ;it tile desired level.

    Xn November, 194'7, the l-jnlltlozing of the upper par1 of the area


    was commencc~d,using Catesyi1l;tr D.4 d~ld11.6 ~machiiles,arlcl l ~ ythe
    limc the rains came in Ileccrteber silt). chains ot utam drairr, 40 f ~ t > L

    150

    SIXTEENTH CONFERENCE

    1949

    wide by two feet six Inches deep, had bem completed. Following on
    this effort a further 1514 chains of main drain and 140 1 chains of feeders
    were constnicted by bu1ldoaer and hand labo~trin 191s. Figvim 1 shows
    a bulldozpr at work.
    12s thc madlines progressed i t I~cramcrrident that a length of
    53 chains at the lo\vest end of the proj~ctwas irnpo~sibleto work with.
    any class nf animal or machine, and tI~cbulldozer contractor obtained
    from tlrc Co-nrdinator General's Dcprtrnent n snpplv of anti-tank mines
    ant1 a ~ i ~ m o n afor
    l cxpcrimrntal '>blon-s." \\'rrrk was I~ampercd by
    plagues of rnnqquitnrq, and t h e necessity to rnrry a 30 113. load t h r w g h
    18 c h a ~ n sof linee-deep sltislr slowctl prn,qrcs ron~i(lerahly.

    Fig. I-Showing

    a bulldorer at work in h e swamp.

    From the remits of many test shots it was found that T.N.T. in
    thr fnrm of nlincq \irxf: ~ i n ~ t ~ i t ; l ~l di rn,r ct h c hk-h drtonntion ratc [;-8,Wfi
    nlrtrr~per scl*nnd) r.auqrtl a largc a m o n i ~ tr ~ tl l ~ rq)orl t o l ~ rt l~rrrwn
    upwnrd5 instraatl of ontwarrls, ancl in t l i r - arc;ts of hlrw mutl 13 Iiori,orl,
    t11cfr~rr+r
    of tile rspln~ionrvas cu5hionrtl. The amrnonal hrinq a rlorvrr
    burncr (5-3,0(111nlct~rsper scrantlj gave hcttcr results and when plarcd
    jn l i n ~in l w t h I > I I ~ Crnllcl tirl;il ;Irr;l< anrl salt flat.; wa; lo~rntlto Ile
    60 pcr rent. more effectiv~for t l ~ i st v p c c)f work. .\nothcr important
    pnint (*on(-rrnrtl ~ h po+ition
    r
    nf c h a r y c ~in rclation to the facc of crratest
    resi<tant-p. I t ~ ; 1 . ; in11nd tlrnt tllr 1;1!.ing o f c:Iini-qrc nn nnc Il:~nkof
    an ruiqtinq drain, no rnnttrr how sm:i11, xrlii~vrrl? I I ~ - T ~ S S + TIICrh~rges,
    cnnsistinq of 95 11,. cans of aninlnnal, spncrtl :tt 10 fcct ancl :{ fi-et (i~ n c h e s
    deep In the ~ c r ~ i njrrl r r firrtl hv Prim;lc-nrcl " (.?,20ll mrtrrs per sccnnri)
    ant1 C .E. prlmrrq. 'rl'nrkin~on prrvinns knowlrtl~pi t trr;1~tnuntl that,
    wit-h 33 111. vhnrgcs of ammonal at 10 f c ~ intrrvalq
    t
    Isre Fig. 2 ) , a total
    1cnetl-t of from 2.5 to 7 r-hains in one IIIOIV gavr <;~ti<factor!. reqults.
    I t was noted, howevcr, t h a t a bump of puffcd up mud at the site of
    "

    7 949

    SIXTEENTH CONFERENCE

    15 1

    each individual charge made a qeries of islands in the middle of the


    channr! (srr Fig. R ) . Since ~ E I P S ~ mounds wcrc fluffy, it apprar4 likely
    that the flow of water in the channel will gratlually Icxtrl them out.
    'The channel formcd 1n~:~wrecl
    up tn 38 fcct in trridth by 3 feet
    6 inchcs ~lcep, with t t ~ c~poil thrown clear. I n such circumstances
    clcaring of tirnt~rrfor a diqtance of 40 fret from t l ~ rcrl~t*of thr drain
    was found nrcessary, since thcrc waq the likelfhnorl nf t h r rhannel being
    f o ~ ~ l eh\.
    t l loqs ton Iirx~yto I>c movccl IIY the blast. Features of the
    work are illtiqtraterl in T;iqq, 4 , 5 , ant1 I?.

    Fig. %Showing

    the charpes Isid.

    Economids of the Scheme.


    To date @,"iOn
    has bern paid for earthwnrk?, espFosives and contingencies. As many subsidiaries have alrearly been' led into the
    s e c o n d a ~hranchcs of thr lirnin channel a further {ltiW woilld cowr
    private lnnrlholrlrrs.
    the amount to he h r n e
    The earthworks cost from 6d. to l l9 p ~ rcuhic yard when the
    for tht D.4.
    hourly rate for the machines was L5 for t l ~ cD.G 2nd

    SIXTEENTH CONFiRENCr

    152

    Fig, 3-Showing

    Fig, &Photograph

    the mounds of mud in mid-channel.

    of expfosion showing arymrnetw o f blast due to location


    of charges: against a bank.

    The diffcrcnce in price per c~il>iryard is dur t u thr wet conditions


    c C h lRCS
    \Y?TC
    encountered in the lntcr stages of ol)errltion, when the m?
    *
    wnrking at one-thirrl loadinq.

    Of the ninc tons of csplosives purchased for L32.5, the dearest


    item was the primacord at 3:d. ppr loot, \vl~il;t the cost of the amrnanal
    approximated L28 per ton.

    SlXTEENTH CONFERENCE

    1949

    Fig. 5-A

    l53

    view' of the channel fotmed by blasting.

    Fig. &Another

    view o f the channel.

    .At present there is no firm understandinq concerning tipkecp of


    the rlrainq under control of the Syndicate, alzhotigh it is fdt that prop r t i o n a t c rating based on acreage benefited would bc equitable.

    151

    - -- S l-X l EENIH
    -- CONFERENCE
    ---."p

    p-"-"-

    -"

    1943
    "
    "
    P

    Acknowledgments.
    Acknowlcclgmenli, are ,~ctorilrtl t o thr members 01 tlie Sotitb
    Marnotliy Sw;tnlp I)r<rinagc Sylrtlicate ior iheir a~iist~irlre
    anti thcir
    consent to the pnblication of thji pal'cr.

    b\'hcre firr-n c:liough, h~llltioz~r!;(l).(i ;111(1 11.4) Inay . h e worlted


    sai,isfactorily iri the c,?eal-ing of vcgcl;il.ion ; ~ n dco~lstrrri:t:ion o-F clitclles
    in ica-ircc sur;rrlq)cor~rltr.?-. ,\rnrllon:ll or snhstitrrlt! :~xnrnonalw;rs folmci
    t o he rr~ostsalisfac-tofy ior ihr li,lowitlg of birrc rrlnil 1-3 lilo~izon soil.;.
    Irr the CitlnI lrilr~ti:;;trlci ~)ca;lt\~
    oom
    por~nd of cxplosivt: rernovecl
    a b o t ~ two
    t
    c111>icyards (25 11). c-!t~:~~-ed
    an art::^ of 10 f t . X :3 ft. 6 in. X 38 ft..).
    Most s~lcc-csswas ~ a i n r : t i by j,lacii.~g (cl~ar-;jt:son ifre edge of a n existing
    drain. 'l'irrrbcr- rrlust l ~ clcirl-ctl
    r
    for 40 fcci horn vacii cdge c ~ ftlic clrain
    beforc I~lowirrg. Yllc ~ l i a x i m ~ i lnirrlll)t:r
    rl
    of cllarges sllclulcl be 1:1111 at.
    on(:(: a s single sllot.; itlrc,\v &spoil iritc! prc:~ior~s1)lon.s. 11-1 this bad.
    a-roscp.t'it.o conrrtry ;ill pos.;il)li. pi.i.par;itro-ils silo~iitlbe riladc to c:ili~rgc.s
    befor-c: entering t kit: a]-(-a.

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