The

River Murray Waters Scheme.

BY

HENRY HARVEY DARE, N.E.

M.Inst.C.E., M.I.E.Aust.
Commissioner, Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission, New South Wales.
Commissioner, River Murray Commission.

REPRINTED FROM THE JOURNAL

OF THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, AUSTRALIA.
VOL. 6, NO. 6, JUNE, 1934•

NOTE.—The Institution as a body is not responsible for statements or opinions

advanced in this publication.

SYDNEY, N.S.W.

1934•
 The River Murray Waters Scheme.
BY HENRY HARVEY DARE, M.E.
Member.*
Summary—This paper includes a general description of the provisions of the River Murray Agreement, and of the works, constructed
thereunder, together with a reference to the works proposed under a recent amendment of the agreement. Brief particulars are also given
of the development under irrigation from the Murray River in the three States concerned. The author is a Commissioner, Water Conser-
vation and Irrigation Commission, New South Wales, and a Commissioner, River Murray Commission.
INTRODUCTION.
The drainage area of the River Murray and tribu-
taries embraces about 414,000 square miles, of which,
however, less than 40 per cent. is effective. The main
stream, and also its principal tributaries, the Murrum-
bidgee River in New South Wales, and the Goulburn River
in Victoria, have their rise in the Australian Alps, where
snow falls during each winter, the melting of the snow
causing freshets in the spring. From Murray Mouth to
Hume dam the distance by river is about 1,400 miles,
but there is no navigation on the River Murray by river
steamers above Echuca, about 1,070 miles from the mouth.
When the water levels permit, there is a limited amount
of river traffic on the Murrumbidgee from the junction
to a short distance above Hay, and also on the Darling
River, which is the main channel down which flow the
waters contributed by Queensland, and by portion of New
South Wales.
Floods in the Darling River are frequently due to
monsoonal rains, which fall during the summer season,
and the contribution of this stream is then of especial ser-
vice in replenishing the lower Murray, and in filling Lake
Victoria storage. There are, unfortunately, however,
long periods when the discharge of the Darling River is
negligible, and since there is no site suitable for a storage
except on the headwaters, and too remote to be of practical
use, this stream cannot be relied upon in all years to make
a useful contribution to the flow of the Murray River.
RIVER MURRAY WATERS ACT.
On 31st January, 1917, the River Murray Waters Act
came into force. This act was passed in practically a
similar form by the legislatures of the four parties to the
Murray Waters Agreement, viz., the Commonwealth of
Australia, and the States of New South Wales, Victoria,
and South Australia, and was based upon the recommenda-
tions, made in 1913, by an Interstate Conference of Engin-
eers consisting of the late Messrs. E. M. de Burgh, J. S.
Dethridge, and Graham Stewart, who were appointed in
1911 to make such recommendations as would be conducive
to a settlement by agreement of the question of the River
Murray and its tributaries.
In June, 1915, prior to the passing of the Act, the
foundation stone had been laid of the Blanchetown weir
and lock, which is one of the works included in the agree-
ment. Reference is made in the attached schedule to a
*This paper, No. 499, originated in the Sydney Division of The Institution.
number of papers, which deal with the details of various
of the works comprised in the scheme.
In the present paper it is proposed to review generally
the progress made with these works, and to refer to a modi-
fication of the scheme which has recently been agreed upon.
For the proper understanding of the position it will be
necessary to refer to some of the matters dealt with in
previous papers.
The works included in the agreement embodied in
the River Murray Waters Act, 1915, comprise:
Estimated Cost.
t.
9 weirs and locks from Blanchetown to Wentworth ... 865,000
17 weirs and locks from Wentworth to Echuca .. ... 1,700,000
9 weirs and locks in the Murrumbidgee River to Hay 540,000
Upper Murray storage (I,000,000 acre feet) ... ... I 3353,000
Lake Victoria storage (514,000 acre feet) ... 205,000
Total ... ... ... ... ... ... £4,663,000
Towards this cost it was originally provided that the
Commonwealth should make a contribution limited to
£1,000,000, but later, in 1923, the Commonwealth decided
to share equally in the cost of construction with the other
parties to the agreement.
The River Murray Commission, which administers
the Act, consists of one Commissioner from each of the
States, with a Commonwealth Commissioner as President.
The first meeting of the Commission was held on 14th
February, 1917, with Senator F. J. Lynch as President and
Mr. P. A. Gourgaud as Secretary. Since that date, owing
to political changes, the Commission has had no less than
twelve Presidents, of whom Sir Littleton E. Groom
and the Hon. W. C. Hill, M.P., held office for
the longest period, viz., 3 years and 9 months, and 4
years and 2 months respectively, but a continuity
of policy has been preserved by the fact that Mr.
T. Hill, O.B.E., M.I.F,.Aust., has acted throughout as
Deputy Commissioner for the Commonwealth. The Presi-
dent at the present time is the Hon. J. A. Perkins, M.P.,
Minister for the Interior.
The preparation of the designs for the various works
included in the agreement has been carried out by the
state authorities, subject, however, to the approval by the
River Murray Commission of the general scheme of works,
as submitted by the states, and of designs and estimates for
such works, with or without alterations or additions. The
Commission is also empowered to direct in point of time
the order in which works are to be constructed by the
state authorities, and the rate of progress of same. Other
functions of the Commission include finance, collection and
 4 RIVER MURRAY WATERS SCHEME —Dare.
apportionment of tolls, river gauging, maintenance of
works, and distribution of water.
The system of administration by the Commission,
as laid down by the Act, has been found to work both har-
moniously and efficiently.
PRESENT POSITION OF WORKS.
The works completed at 3oth June, 1934, include the
Lake Victoria Storage, and weirs and locks Nos. I to 11,
.,Blanchetown to Mildura) inclusive, and No. 26 (Torrum-
barry).
There were in progress at that date the Hume dam,
nearing completion, and No. 15 weir and lock, the con-
struction of which was in an early stage.
Although the original scheme of works is far from com-
plete, the expenditure to 31st March, 1934, has been
-k9,315,000, or much in excess of the estimate of ,04,663,000
given in the agreement. The principal reasons for
this excess are that:
1. The original estimate was based on insufficient data.
2. The Hume dam has been constructed for an ultimate capacity
of 2,000,000 acre feet, or double that originally proposed (although
for the time being the capacity is being limited to 1,25o,000 acre feet).
3. Since 1913, when the original estimates were submitted,
the cost of all construction work has increased very considerably.
In this connection it may be mentioned that, in New South Wales,
the labourer's wage was 9s.od. per 8 hour day in ,1912, immediately
prior to the date when the agreement came into force. By 1927
this wage had increased to 17s.9d. per day, and although, since 1927,
there has been a reduction in this figure, the fact remains that the
average labourer's wage for the whole period of construction has
been very largely in excess of that in force at the time when the
original estimate was prepared. It must be noted also that this
rise does not give a full indication of the increased cost of construction,
inasmuch as the awards now in force include a large number of special
rates for different classes of labour, all in excess of the labourer's
wage. The cost of materials was also largely increased due to the
rise in wages.
, HumE DAM.
The site at Cumberoona, originally proposed for a
head storage, was found to be unsuitable on account of the
depth of the foundations, and extensive investigations
of other sites were accordingly undertaken by boring with
diamond drills. Finally, after testing 25 sites, it was de-
cided to construct the Upper Murray storage dam at a site
about half a mile below the junction of the Mitta Mitta
River with the Murray, where granite was discovered at
reasonable depths below the surface.
Catchment Area.—The catchment area above the site
of the dam is about 6,000 square miles. At Bringenbrong,
some 140 miles by river above the. site, the main stream of
the Murray is formed by the junction of the Swampy
Plains River, rising in New South Wales, and the Indi
River, which rises in Victoria. The Tooma River, which
rises in New South Wales, joins the Murray between
Bringenbrong and Jingellic.
At Jingellic the relative contributions to the annual
flow of the River Murray by New South Wales and Victoria
are estimated at approximately 2 to I respectively, but at
Albury the position is reversed, owing to the volumes
brought in by the Mitta Mitta and Kiewa Rivers, both of
which are Victorian streams.
Discharge at Albury.—Since 1885 the height of the
Murray River has been recorded daily, while the dis-
charge has been gauged periodically with current meters
since 19o2.
From these observations the following estimates have
been made of the annual discharge at Albury:
Maximum, in 1917 ... ... 10,586,254 acre feet
Minimum, in 1902 ... ... 895,810 acre feet
Average for 48 years, 1885-1932 ... 3,764,000 acre feet
Deducting the average annual flow of the Kiewa River, which
joins the main stream between the Hume dam and Albury,
the average annual discharge from the catchment above
Hume dam is estimated at approximately 3,244,000 acre feet.
Capacity of Storage.—The design and estimate for a
dam to impound I,Ioo,000 acre feet at the site adopted,
were prepared in collaboration by the late Mr. E. M. de
Burgh, then Chief Engineer, Public Works Department,
New South Wales, and the late Mr. J. S. Dethridge, Com-
missioner, State Rivers and Water Supply Commission,
Vic.
— 3913 9'— --
Farttlen Fmtankwv t! Mh Care Nlall
I
Hydro EkcMt Valves Regulating Valves
Fig. Elevation of Hume Dam.
1.
Victoria, and were approved by the River Murray Commis-
sion in 1919. In 1922 the River Murray Commission was
asked by the contracting Governments to investigate the
question of utilizing the water to be discharged from the
outlets in the dam for the generation of electricity, and at
the same time to confer and report upon the advisableness
of increasing the capacity of the reservoir. On 31st January,
1924, the Commission recommended that the work of
construction of the Hume dam, of sufficient dimensions
to provide for a reservoir of 2,000,000 acre feet, proceed
for a period not exceeding three years, and that the ultimate
capacity be then the subject of a further conference of
Ministers representing the contracting Governments. This
recommendation was adopted, and on 12th August, 1926,
a further conference consisting of the members of the River
Murray. Commission and the Chief Engineers representing
the constructing authorities resolved to recommend that the
reservoir should be completed forthwith for a capacity of
2,000,000 acre feet. At a conference of Ministers held
in February, 1928, it was decided to adopt a limited pro-
gramme of works to be constructed during the period ending
June, 1932, including the Hume dam with a capacity of
2,000,000 acre feet.
It was also decided that the River Murray Commission
should prepare and submit an estimate of the additional
sum required to complete the above programme, together
with explanations regarding the increases which have taken
place in the costs of these works over those contemplated
when the agreement was entered into.
An amended estimate of £5,8'72,63'7 for the Hume
dam was thereupon submitted by the constructing authorities
but the Commission did not feel justified in giving approval
to this estimate, and suggested that a further conference
of Ministers be held to consider the matter.
It was thereupon decided that a Committee of Inquiry
be appointed to investigate all matters relating to the
latest estimate. This Committee which consisted of Mr.
E. G. Ritchie, M.I.E.Aust., Chairman, Mr. W. G. T.
Goodman, M.I.E.Aust., and Mr. E. H. Graves, presented
 RIVER MURRAY WATERS SCHEME—Dare. 5

their report in October, 1929. At a further Conference
of Ministers, in February, 1930, it was decided that " the
construction of the Hume reservoir be continued to a
capacity of 1,250,00o acre feet, with the intention of pro-
viding later for a capacity of 2,000,00o acre feet." It was
upon this basis that the dam shown 1n Fig. 1 has been built.
An important consideration, which has affected the
decision to limit the capacity of the storage to 1,250,000
acre feet for the time being, has been the submergence of
the Victorian township of Tallangatta. With a storage
of 2,000,00o acre feet, full supply level R.L. 626, it would
be necessary to resume the township, which then would
be liable to submergence, whereas at R.L. 606, the full
supply level for the smaller storage, this will not be the case.
Behaviour of Storage.—In their report of 31st January,
1924, already referred to, the River Murray Commission
stated :
" As a result of our review of the whole of the facts placed before
us, we hold the opinion that a regulated flow of 263,000 acre feet
at Albury for nine months in each year is the maximum that can be
relied upon from the catchment with a reservoir of any capacity."
It is probable that the actual irrigation requirements
will involve some departure from the above assumption of
an even draw upon the river, and that during the late sum-
mer and early autumn more water will be required than
during the balance of the irrigating season, but provided
that the total supply of 2,367,00o acre feet for the nine
months be not exceeded, there will be no difficulty in meet-
ing this additional seasonal demand.
The diagram shows that during the five months Dec-
ember to April, inclusive, in the abnormal drought periods
Of 1902-1903 and 1914-1915, the storage would have been
depleted, and unable to supply water, had the discharge
been maintained at the rate allowed for in the diagram.
There would also have been a slight failure in April, 1930.
Should the storage fall below a reasonable level in future
the River Murray Commission will no doubt take action,
in accordance with the provisions of Clause 51 of the agree-
ment, to reduce the quantities released, and so obviate
failures.
Evaporation.—An interesting report concerning the
loss by evaporation to be anticipated from the Hume storage

11671E FEET
1.260.000 t— ► --_— —
I.zoo. 000 _ -
L —.
1

1.100. 000 — _ — __ =I =
1.000
300

goo
700. 000

600 000
500. 000 -
100. 000 —_— —

300 000
200 000
mo g00 —
00
Ia7s IRx 1237 1676 1133 1700 1301 1302 S 1903 1704 1905 1706 1907 1306 IM3 1910 1311' 171Z 1313

1916 1317 1713 1920 1721 1323 1724 1925 1326 1927 172E 1729 1331 1733

Fig. 2. Hume Dam Behaviour Diagram.

In the diagram, Fig. 2, is shown the behaviour of a was furnished in 1923 by Mr. H. A. Hunt, then Com-
storage of 1,250,00o acre feet for the 39 years 1895 to 19337 monwealth Meteorologist. Details were given by him for
inclusive, in supplying, together with the natural flow of each month, of the estimated difference between rainfall
the Kiewa River, a regulated flow at Albury of 263,000 and evaporation, and the annual figures were summarized
acre feet per month for the nine months August to April as under for a normal year:
inclusive in each year. During the non-irrigating period
Rainfall ... 27.95 in.
May, June and July, no provision has been made for releas- Evaporation 46.x8 in.
ing water from the storage, as it has been assumed that the 18.23 in.
Net loss
flow of the Kiewa River and other tributaries would meet
requirements during this period. .In the behaviour diagram no allowance has been made
 6 RIVER MURRAY WATERS SCHEME —Dare.

for evaporation, as it has been assumed that this would In all cases the passages widen upstream to bellmouths,
be compensated for by the contribution of the catchment which will be closed by Stoney gates, 16 ft. 4 in. square,
between the gauging stations and the dam. for the hydro-electric outlets, and 9 ft. 9 in. square for the
Spillway Section.—The flood of 1917, which was the other four outlets. Reinforced concrete trash racks have
highest in the Murray River since the great flood of 1870, been provided upstream, and a stilling pool downstream,
was gauged at Corowa, and from that gauging it was esti- 293 ft. 6 in. long and 22 ft. deep, with walls and floor of
mated that the maximum rate of discharge at the Hume concrete.
dam in 1917 was approximately 9o,000 cusecs. In view,
however, of the abnormal flood in the Murrumbidgee
River, which overtopped Burrinjuck dam in 1925, it was
decided to make provision for a maximum discharge of
182,000 cusecs over the spillway section of the Hume dam,
in addition to the quantity discharged through the sluices.
The spillway section, Fig. 3, is 720 feet long, with
vertical face upstream, and downstream face curved to con-
form to the flow of the overfalling water. The lip of the
spillway is 15 feet below the full supply level of the 2,000,000
acre feet storage, and 29 steel vertical lift gates, each 20
feet long by 15 feet high, will be provided when the stor-
age is increased to that figure. For the time being these
gates are being omitted.
To provide for exceptional floods the wall has been
designed to withstand a surcharge of 9 feet over the top of
the gates. When the floodwaters rise above full supply
level the gates will be lowered. It is estimated that at
the foot of the wall the overfalling water will attain a ve-
Fig. 4. — Hume Dam Hydro-electric Outlet.
locity of about 90 feet per second. With a view to reducing
this velocity a series of model experiments was made, and an
energy dissipator of the trough type, 8o feet wide and 25 The discharge from the needle valves is estimated to
feet deep, Fig. 3, was adopted. It is estimated that the be approximately as under :—
mean velocity on the apron downstream of the dissipator
will be reduced to 6.3 feet per second. At Full head
Type of Valves. R.L. 6o6. At R.L. 575•
Sluice Section.—Seven outlets have been provided
in the sluice section. Three of these, at the northern 4 regulating valves... ... 8600 cusecs 6720 cusecs
3 hydro-electric valves ... 5940 » 4440 »
zs-
RL 642
The first sod at the Hume dam was turned on 28th
FSL626 CapaClty ZOOQOOOACF7 November, 1919, by Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson, then
Gate is'. 2o*
Governor-General of the Commonwealth, later Viscount
FSL 606 CaPacrty 1 250000 AC F1 Novar.
The principal dimensions and quantities of materials
are given in Table I.

TABLE I.
Catchment Area ... .. 6,000 sq. miles.
Capacity . 1,25o,000 ac. ft. 2,000,000 ac. ft.
Full Supply Level R.L. 6o6 R.L. 626
Area at F.S.L. 33,000 acres 443000 acres
Maximum Depth of Water Stored 1o6 feet 126 feet
Length of Reservoir—
Murray River 39 miles 50 miles
Mitta Valley ... 21 miles 25 miles
Length of Earth Bank, N.S.W. 430 ft. 6 in.
Length of Concrete Wall, N.S.W... 1,042 ft. 6 in.
Length of Earth Bank, Victoria .. .. 3,815 ft. o in.
Fig. 3. Hume Dam Spillway Section and Dissipator. Total Length ... 5,288 ft. o in.

end, will ultimately be used for hydro-electric purposes, Estimated Quantity of Concrete in Dam, as constructed—
and in these, Fig. 4, the circular passages are 13 ft. diameter. N.S.W. ... ... ... ... ... ... 431,528 c. yd.
Victoria ... ... ... ... ... ... 110,440 c. yd.
For the time being these outlets are being used for regula-
ting purposes only, and have been fitted with needle valves Estimated Quantity of Concrete in Subsidiary Bank—
Victoria ... ... ... ... ... ... 6,689 c. yd.
7 ft. 6 in. diameter, similar to those on the other four regu-
lating outlets, where the circular passages are 9 ft. diameter. Total Concrete 548,657 c. yd.
 RIVER MURRAY WATERS SCHEME—Dare.
Estimated Quantity of Earthwork in Dam, as constructed—
N.S.W. ... ... ... ... ... ... 90,700 c. yd.
Victoria ... ... ... ... ... ... 3,881,513 c. yd.
Estimated Quantity of Earthwork in Subsidiary Bank—
Victoria ... ... ... ... ... r9o,647 c. yd.
Total Earthwork ... ... 4,162,86o c. yd.
Concrete Wall.—For the construction of the main
concrete wall, the river was dealt with in two stages. During
the first stage, levee banks were built on the flat on the
northern side of the river to a height of 3 feet above maxi-
mum flood level, and tied into the hill slopes up and down-
stream, stone beaching being provided along the river face.
The effect of constricting the channel was to cause the
river to rise to a higher level than that of the record flood,
but the area protected by the levees was free from water,
and within this area were constructed the sluice section
and portion of the spillway section of the wall.
During the second stage, an area of 123- acres, including
the river channel, was surrounded by a coffer dam con-
sisting of an outer face of steel sheet piling, 40 ft. long,
driven to decomposed rock, and an inner skin of timber piles
and sheeting, forming a space 20 feet wide, which was
filled with sand. By the use of one 4 in. pump the coffer
dam was kept dry.
To provide for the passage of floodwaters during con-
struction, portion of the wall has been kept at a lower level,
while, during the period when work was proceeding inside
the coffer dam, a space of i,000 feet was left between the
Victorian embankment and the southern wall of the coffer
dam to allow of floodwaters passing over the river flat at
that end.
The instructions issued by the River Murray Com-
mission regarding the foundations of the concrete wall
were that :
(a) the excavations be carried 3 feet into solid granite from the
upstream face of the wall to the downstream end of the cut off; and
(b) the remainder of the excavations on the downstream side
of the cut off be taken to the surface of the solid granite.
Special provision was also made for dealing with faults
in the rock.
Current generated in a power house on the northern
side has been used for operating the plant. This includes
a io ton Lidgerwood cableway, with a fixed tail tower and
a traversing head tower ; and quarry plant and concrete
mixing and distributing system capable of placing 960
cubic yards per day.
Concrete has been mixed in two mixers, each of 2 cubic
yard capacity, and placed by means of a rubber conveyor
belt, 32 in. wide, carrried on a timber trestle on the up-
stream side of the wall, provided with a tripper, running
on light rails on the trestlework, and discharging into chutes.
From the commencement of operations until March,
1929, the concrete placed in the main body of the wall
consisted of 5 parts of crushed granite, using the run of the
crusher, 2~ parts of sand, and I part of cement. Fol-
lowing, however, upon the complete blocking of the river
a large body of river gravel and sand was uncovered at a
short distance below the structure, and this was substituted
for the crushed stone previously used, while in September
1930, in view of the test results obtained, a 6 : 3 : 1 mix-
ture was adopted. Granite plums, up to 8 tons, have been
used throughout, to the extent of about 6 per cent. of the
concrete placed.
7
Cement is transhipped at a siding near Albury and
transported by 5 ton motor lorries ii miles to site over a
road, portion of which was constructed in connection with
the Hume dam works.
Contraction joints about 83 feet apart are provided
in the lower portion of the wall, reduced to one-half that
distance apart in the upper portion. To cover these joints,
grooves have been formed on the upstream face, 18 in.
Fig. 5.—Hume Darn Spillway and Sluice Section.
wide and 6 in. deep, covered with precast reinforced con-
crete slabs, secured with bronze bolts, with a I in. layer of
asphaltum between the slabs and the concrete of the wall.
Provision has been made for a roadway, 19 ft. 9 in.
wide between kerbs, across the wall at R.L. 642. Over
the spillway section the roadway is supported on concrete
piers, 5 ft. thick.
Temporary Bridges.—To carry traffic during the con-
struction period two bridges were built about 300 yards
downstream of the dam, one across the Murray River,
and the other across the outlet channel which was excavated to
take the flow from the sluices. Each structure is of the
timber beam type, with 24 feet spans on timber piers,
providing a roadway 22 feet wide with a railway track down
the centre.
Embankment.—The Victorian section comprises an
embankment with reinforced core wall, 3,815 feet long,
32 feet crest width, average height above river flat 115
feet, and maximum height 128 feet. The cross section
of the embankment, Fig. 6, provides for a banquette 50
feet wide, about 10 feet above the level of the flat, and two
Slope 2 to I — . a.—
Flood RLr3500 WB~-w -. G'Drain pipes
Placed 'wh
ere mWired
This Slope to be
fated wRh concrete
Slaps r~\oPe
"'jiv
S
05
RL_M Thi551P
N \
'Imp~Tw~fous`e~s _~
r3• -- be meta l<dd
PLS"'Zfb,
Sandy
Deo repo d Graride
Reinforced concrete core wall
Granite
Fig. 6.—Hume Dam Cross Section of Embankment.
berms each 8 feet wide on the downstream slope, which
has been covered with gravel 4 inches deep, and planted
with grasses. The upstream slope has been protected
with concrete slabs, each 6 feet x 6 feet by 12 inches thick,
 8 . RIVER MURRAY WATERS SCHEME—Dare.
laid on 6 inches of gravel, and abutting against a toe, con-
sisting of large hand-placed stones. The material for the
embankment was obtained from excavations adjacent to
site, made by 3 cubic yard shovels; and consisting mainly
of clay overlying decomposed granite. The material
was loaded by the shovels into 41 cubic yard side-dump
trucks, which were transported by locomotives and tipped
where required. Spteading was effected by J cubic yard
wheeled scoops, each drawn by three horses. During spreading
the embankment was copiously watered and consolidation
was effected by the passage of the horses and scoops.
For the upstream section clayey material only was
used, but on the downstream side a certain proportion of
stoney material has been mixed with the clay, including
portion of the material 'excavated for the foundations of
the main concrete structure and core wall. The best of
the clay was reserved for placing around the core wall,
especially on the upstream side.
The excavation for the core wall was carried through
a considerable thickness of sand, gravel and decomposed
granite to depth of at least 5 feet into solid rock. The
Fig. 7. Inspection Gallery at Back of Core Wall.
maximum depth "reached below natural surface was 87 feet,
and the excavation was a slow and difficult undertaking,
involving a considerable amount of timbering and pumping.
The concrete core wall varies in thickness from 2 feet
at~R.L. 638 to 6 feet at R.L. 500, which is the average level
Fig. g.—Hume Dam from Downstream.
of the top of the decomposed granite, and the wall has been
constructed with contraction joints '30 feet apart. Two
rows of reinforcement have been provided; at 6 inches
from the front and back faces, each consisting of I inch steel
rods, 14 inches apart vertically, and 8 inches apart hori-
Fig. 8.—Bethanga Bridge.
zontally. For inspection purposes, and in order to deal
with any water which may percolate through the core wall,
a semi-circular inspection tunnel, 6 feet 6 inches in height,
has been provided on the downstream face of the wall,
supported on buttresses 15 feet apart. See 'Fig.. 7. In
the early stages, arrangements were made for collecting
any drainage water in gravel placed at the back of the core
wall, but later concrete slabs of special design were sub-
stituted. The drainage water can enter the tunnel through
weep holes provided at the top, centre, and bottom of the
tunnel. The floor of the tunnel is laid on a grade and
water will be discharged at the southern abutment of the
spillway section.
Deviation of Traffic Routes.—Portions of the old traffic
routes will be submerged when the dam is completed. A
deviation, 8 miles 52 chains long, has accordingly been made
of the railway to Tallangatta, including an extensive viaduct
over Sandy Creek; while road deviations 25 miles long on
the New South Wales side, and 35~ miles on the Victorian
side, have also been constructed. Another important
subsidiary work, the Bethanga bridge, Fig. 8, has been con-
 RIVER MURRAY WATERS SCHEMEDare.
structed, with nine steel truss spans each of 268 feet, car-
ried on concrete piers, with an average height above the
river flats of about 105 feet.
All the above works have been designed to give an
adequate clearance above full supply level for a storage
of 2,000,000 acre feet.
Estimated Cost.—The estimated cost of the Hume
dam as constructed is £5,485,395, of which about £793,500
is for land resumptions, and £620,559 to cover the cost
of deviation of traffic routes including Bethanga bridge.
Hydro-Electric Development.—It is estimated that in a
year of average river flow, such as 1922, the average water
horse power available during the 9 months of the irrigating
season would be about 37,000 h.p., based.upon a constant
discharge at Albury of 263,000 acre feet per month during
the irrigating season, but beyond providing for outlets as
already described, no action has been taken so far to
construct a power house at the dam.
Fig. to.—Lake Victoria Controlling Regulator on Inlet Channel.
LAKE VICTORIA STORAGE.
For the purposes of the South Australian section of
the river a supplementary storage has been provided at
Lake Victoria, which is situated in New South Wales,
about 15 miles from the interstate boundary. Particulars
regarding this storage have been given by Mr. J. H. O.
Eaton, M.I.E.Aust., in his paper on " The River Murray
Works " in Vol. I of The Transactions of The Institution.
They may be summarized as under:—
Capacity ... 514,000 acre feet.
Surface area ... 26,5oo acres.
Maximum dept h .. 24 feet.
Capacity of inlet channel ioo,000 cubic feet per minute.
Embankments ... ... 32 miles long.
Regulators ... Two on inlet channel, one on
outlet channel.
The regulators, Fig. ro, include gates of the free roller
sluice type with counterweights. . The. inlet and outlet
channels were enlarged and improved, and embankments
constructed of the best material available, but the quality
of portion of this material was by no means ideal, and,
in spite of careful patrol, some damage to the banks was
sustained during the abnormal flood of 1931. This damage
has since been repaired, and the whole of the works have
been completed at a cost of £485,285•
9
THE MURRAVIAN GULF.
In connection with the foundations of the locks and
weirs, it is of interest to consider the conditions, which
existed in ancient times along the course of the Murray
River below Echuca, and of the Murrumbidgee River
below Hay. In Fig. ii, are shown the approximate boun-
daries of the Murravian Gulf, which extended, during the
middle Tertiary period, far into New South Wales and
Victoria. Dr. L. Keith Ward, Government Geologist,
South Australia, has supplied the following information:
As a result of the study of many outcrops and the samples
obtained during the search for water by boring, it is possible to in-
dicate several stages in the history of the basin of the River Murray,
during which the geography of the area suffered many changes from
Middle Tertiary time onwards.
Following upon a prolonged period of erosion in which an im-
mense part of southern Australia was reduced to the condition of a
peneplain, a general subsidence began in the area occupied by the
basin. The sands and clays containing lignite which are interbedded
with marine strata indicate some oscillations of level of the land re-
latively to the sea, with the resulting submergence of the coastal
swamps in which beds of lignite were deposited. The general
movement within the Murray Basin was downward, and as the sea
water became deeper the typical polyzoal (Janjukian) limestone was
deposited in a broad gulf which extended far beyond the limits of
the basin as we know it to-day. Some of the country now con-
stituting the highlands of the southern part of Mt. Lofty Ranges
was submerged beneath the ocean, for we find remnants of the Poly-
zoal limestone Soo feet above sea level near Myponga. It is pro-
bable, also, that the Tertiary sea covered a wide expanse of palae-
zoic and Mesozoic rock in western Victoria, although some of the
sediments deposited in that sea have been stripped by erosion from
the foundations which outcrop near Casterton, Coleraine and Hamil-
ton.
There was an upward movement round the eastern margin of
the basin, and the rivers flowing westwards towards the depression
of the Murravian Gulf had separate channels to the sea. Thus the
Darling, Lachlan, Murrumbidgee, and Murray (Hume) possessed
separate entities. They brought down silt, which covered up much
of the marine sediments in the deeper parts of the basin and extended
over an area considerably wider than that over which the marine beds
were deposited. The method of disposal of the river water during
these later stages of sedimentation is obscure. The Murravian
Gulf must have been almost wholly closed by deposition of river-
borne waste from the land, but the outlet of the river system, if any,
is not known.
At a later date a general uplift of southern Australia took place,
and some regions rose much higher than others. While the area
occupied by the Murravian Gulf rose perceptibly the highlands
on its margin rose much higher, to the accompaniment of extensive
faulting round the margin of the depression. These differential
movements raised the barrier of the Mt. Lofty Ranges between the
Murray Basin and Gulf region of South Australia.
With the rise of the great Tertiary depression the rivers drain-
ing into it became " engrafted " and the present Murray River
carried their waters to the sea. Irregularities in the uplift determined
the actual course of the Murray, the general trend of the river being
westwards as far as North West Bend at Morgan, and then south-
wards to the mouth along the eastern faulted margin of the highlands.
This drainage system removed much of the silt deposited over
the marine limestone in the western part of the basin, and cor-
roded a narrow gorge through the limestone itself below Overland
Corner. The channel above Overland corner is cut through lacus-
trine and fluviatile deposits .which are much softer, and the valley of
the river is consequently wider and marked by more gentle sloping
banks.
The lowest part of the River Murray, below Wellington, traverses
lacustrine deposits. The configuration near the mouth, with the
arrangement of lakes and the long sand spit of Younghusband
Peninsula which separate the Coorong from the ocean, is strikingly
similar to that of the Lakes Entrance in Gippsland. If plans of these
two districts are drawn to the same -scale and placed side by side,
they resemble each other in many ways ; but their orientation is
opposed, like that of right-hand and left-hand gloves. The simi-
arity is not accidental, as it results from the operation of the same
forces—wind, tide, and currents--on shorelines the geological
history of which is not unlike.
 IO RIVER_ M_ URRAY WATERS _ SCHEMEDare.

During the period of the uplift of the' Tertiary sea bed, in late
Tertiary times, several successive coastal sand dunes have
been left stranded and form ridges, known as " ranges," parallel
to the coast in the south-eastern part of South Australia."
The reason why it has been necessary to adopt pile
foundations for the majority of the weirs and locks, con-
structed or projected, is sufficiently explained by the above
statement.
WEIRS AND LOCKS.
The agreement stipulates that the weirs and locks
shall be so constructed as to provide, at all times of the
year, for vessels drawing five feet of water. The original
scheme provided for locked rivers as under :— .
Murray River, Echuca to Blanchetown
Murrumbidgee River, Hay to Junction
to 12 feet. From Blanchetown to No. io, which is situated
immediately below the junction of the Darling River with
the Murray River, the lock chambers are 275 feet x 56 feet,
or sufficient to accommodate a steamer and two barges
at one lockage. Above this point the length of the lock
chamber has been reduced to 170 feet, which will only
suffice for a steamer or two barges at the one time.
Weirs and locks, Nos. 1 to Io, are of the type recom-
mended by Colonel Johnston, Corps of Engineers, United
States of America, who was engaged in 1912 by the South
Australian Government to report upon the scheme for
locking the River Murray. Each structure, Fig. 13, consists,
in addition to the lock chamber, of a navigable pass and
... goo miles. a sluice section.* The navigable pass, which adjoins the
... 240 miles. lock chamber, provides a free passage for navigation at

■ 139 140 141 142 143 1 15 146 147 148

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145 'L—' -7'

Fig. iI.Approximate Boundaries of Murravian Gulf.

From Blanchetown to Goolwa, 164 miles, the Murray times when the river is in fresh, and out of lock, and includes
River is navigable under natural conditions. a series of hinged steel trestles, 20 feet apart, which, when
the pass is open, fold down flat upon a concrete
Of the 26 weirs and locks on the Murray River, as apron. When the river is in lock, the trestles are
already stated, 12 have been completed and one is in progress. raised, and carry an operating platform, against which
None of the weirs and locks on the Murrumbidgee has
been commenced. In the 12 structures completed, the *" The River Murray Works," J. H. O. Eaton, M.I.E.Aust., Vol. x, Transactions
lift, from lower to upper pool level, varies from 8;5 feet LE.Anst.
 RIVER MURRAY WATERS SCHEME—Dare.
rest the top ends of steel rolled girders, 3 ft. 4 in. apart,
which support a system of Boul6 panels, built of selected
hardwood, and fitted with angle iron guides. The pool
level can be regulated by removing Bou1e panels, or, if
a greater discharge be required, by removing some of the
12 inch by 12 inch stop logs, which close the openings,
Fig 12.—High Cliff on the Murray, South Australia.
r9 feet wide between piers, in the sluice section. In the
majority of the structures the navigable pass is 199 feet
wide, but in some cases the width has been reduced, to
as low as 119 feet. The number of sluice openings varies
from 4 to 14, depending upon the width of the river. See
Fig. 13.
With regard to foundations, structures Nos. 3 and io
are founded upon a soft clayey sandstone, but in the majority
of cases the formation is sand, or sand overlying clay,
and six of the remaining structures, Nos. 4 to 9 inclusive,
are founded entirely upon piles, while in Nos. i and 2 there
is a pile foundation for portion of the structure.
At weirs and locks No. ii. (Mildura), Fig. 16, and
No. 26 (Torrumbarry), the lock is of the same type adopted
on the lower river, but for the navigable pass and sluice
section there has been substituted a movable weir, consisting
of braced steel trestles, each 24 feet long, and weighing
about Io tons, which are supported on wheels, working
on rails let into the concrete floor.t Against the
upstream face of the trestles rest movable Oregon stop
bars of the " free end " type, by which the weir is closed.
When the river is open, the trestles are hauled up a sloping
ramp on to an embankment clear of flood, where they
can be inspected and painted. At Torrumbarry, the
t" Torrumbarry Weir" by E. D. Shaw, M.C.E., M.I.E.Aust., and R. S.
Knight, M.C., M.C.E., A.M.I.E.Aust., Vol. VIII, Transactions, I.E.Aust.
II
weir, which is 327 feet 3 inches long, and the lock, which
it adjoins, were constructed in a cut made through a bend
in the river, the old river channel being closed, down-
stream of the cut, by an embankment with a steel sheet
pile core. The advantages of this method of construction
are that the main works can be constructed in the dry,
l~
--- Navigable Pass 199 fl - - - - l ~— - - - - - Slulm
Orb„ A t" w,oatlq km 9,im i
----
1ii■i■
' ~j■i ■1■i■i■i■j■
Celle fIIN wtth stave
JAI
Fig. 13.—Typical Plan of Weir and Lock, South Australia.
without the use of coffer dams, and also that the steel work
in the trestles can be inspected periodically. There is,
however, the possibility that the river may be high at the
time when it is desired to construct the closing embank-
ment, and that this may prove to be a difficult operation.
Fortunately at Torrumbarry weir such was not the case.
At Mildura, the weir, which is 573 feet long, was
built in the main channel of the river, and the lock in an
anabranch channel which took off from the river at a short
distance above the site of the weir, and rejoined it at a short
distance below.
So far as the relative cost of the two types of construction
is concerned, the average cost of weirs and locks Nos. r
to 9, inclusive, has been about £268,5oo, while the average
cost of the Torrumbarry and Mildura structures was
about £322,32o. This comparison should be considered
in general terms only, since the conditions are different
at each of the structures in question.
Fig. 14.—No. 1 Weir and Lock, Second Coffer Danz.
With regard to revenue from the navigation works,
the act prescribes that tolls shall not exceed 6d. per ton
of freight for every ioo miles, or part thereof, up to Zoo
miles, and 4d. per ton for every Ioo miles, or part thereof,
thereafter. Tolls are divided among the three states,
who are also responsible for maintaining the works covered
 12 .RIVER MURRAY WATERS SCEEME—.Dare.
by the agreement but, so far, the revenue from tolls has
been small, as the section of locked river has not been
continuous. With the provision of a navigable river from
the mouth to Mildura, a distance of 558 miles, such as
has been ensured by the recent completion of weirs and
locks Nos. 7 and 8, revenue may improve, but during the
Fig. 15.No. 3 Weir and Lock Aerial View.
intervening period since the agreement was framed, railways
have been extended from Victoria into the Riverina, and
the Darling River is now tapped by the Broken Hill railway
at Menindie, while in South Australia there are also railways
to the various river towns. Motor competition is also
severe, so that it has been estimated* that the general
river trade dealt with at Morgan during the past three years
has amounted to only about io per cent. of the volume
during the maximum period 1921-24. It would appear,
therefore, that unless there be a change in the conditions
of river transport, such as might result from the construction
of a port at Murray Mouth, and the provision of up-to-date
oil-driven vessels, there is little prospect of use being made
of the river for navigation to the extent which was antici-
pated when the River Murray Waters scheme was initiated.
With regard to the upper river, base line surveys
were completed some years ago, and cross sections taken
from Mildura to Echuca, but no further weirs and locks
are at present in contemplation in this section of the river
with the exception of No. 15, now in progress, near Euston.
VARIATIONS OF AGREEMENT.
In November, 1932, a conference was held at Hume
dam of Ministers representing the four contracting Govern-
ments, together with the members of the River Murray
Commission, at which certain proposed variations of the
original agreement were discussed. Finality was not
reached at this meeting, and the River Murray Commission
was asked to report. This they did, recommending
that the costs of the works under consideration be shared
equally by the four contracting parties.
*"The Murray River Basin ", Dr.' Charles Fenner, 1934.
These works comprise :
Estimated Cost.
i. Roadway over Hume dam ,C51,000
2. Yarrawonga diversion weir £380,000
3. Two weirs in Murrumbidgee River £220,000
4.Barrages near Murray Mouth £549,000
Total ... 1,200,000
The recommendation was approved by the four Govern-
ments concerned, upon the understanding that, when the
above works, together with hose now in progress, are com-
pleted, the Murray Waters Agreement shall be terminated
in so far as construction is concerned. The total expenditure
including the above works, is estimated to be about
£12,000,000 under this arrangement, representing a saving
Of C3,000,000 approximately on the cost, if the original
scheme had been adhered to. In view of the fact that
additional locks are not required for the limited shipping
now using the river, and of the advantages which will result
from the construction ,of each of the above works, there
can be no ,doubt that the amendment of the agreement
will be found to be fully justified.
The purposes of the works referred to above are as
follows :
p U T H
5
41
M v
RtAG.[. N~TM
te;
GV Rt~C W.11 WOR LOCK MILOORA
h AV[xU[
GENENALA AN OF WORKS
IE RAILWAT RESERVE
Fig. 16.No. 11 Weir and Lock, Mildura.
Roadway over Hume Dam :—The design for the dam
to provide 2,000,00o acre feet storage included a roadway,
19 feet 9 inches wide between kerbs, carried on concrete
piers over the sluice section, and continued, with a width
of about 30 feet over the embankments. Since the gates
are to be omitted for the I,25o,00o acre feet storage, it
is not essential from the point of view of storage, that this
roadway be constructed, but it is necessary to give access
from the area in Victoria which has been cut off from
its natural market at Wodonga by the stored waters, and
the only alternative would be to reconstruct the two tempor-
 RIVER MURRAY WATERS SCHEME—Dare.
ary' bridges below the dam. In view of their position,
and of their present unsatisfactory condition, this was
no: considered desirable.
The roadway across the dam will form portion
of the finished structure, should it be decided later to
increase the storage to 2,000,00o acre feet.
Yarrawonga Diversion Weir :— The Yarrawonga diver-
sion weir will be a concrete overshot weir with gates together
with a paved embankment total length about 1,530 feet,
maximum height 48 feet, affording a pool at R.L. 412.8,
which will admit of the diversion of water by gravitation
to serve large areas, which it is proposed to develop under
irrigation in New South Wales and Victoria.
Two Weirs on Murrumbidgee River:—On the lower
Uurrumbidgee River there is a considerable area of country
the carrying capacity of which is much enhanced by the
growth of herbage, etc., which results from flooding. The
benefits to be derived from a flooding, at least once a year,
were considered by the landowners to outweigh those which
would result from the provision of a navigable river to
Hay, and for many years past they have been advocating
Fig. 17.—Lower Murray at Goolwa. Murray Mouth is behind Hindinarsh Island to Left.
the construction of bank high weirs which would cause
flooding at times when the river is not sufficiently high
to break out under natural conditions. The two weirs
proposed at Maude and Redbank, between Hay and
Balranald will effect this object and will benefit upwards
of 200,00o acres of flooded country. They will be constructed
at sites selected for two of the weirs and locks contem-
plated under the original scheme, and will be built in such
a manner that locks can be added at a future date, should
this be found desirable.
Barrages near Murray Mouth:—At about 45 miles
from Murray Mouth, or 25 miles below Murray Bridge;
the jiver enters Lake Alexandrina, the area of which is
224 square miles, while Lake Albert, with which it is connect-
ed, has .an area of 64 square miles. Murray Mouth consists
of an opening between sand dunes, with a typical river
bar, on which the seas break. The tidal range, spring.
tides, at Goolwa is only o.8o feet. At Milang, on the
shore of Lake Alexandrina, where there is no tidal influence,
low water level is R.L. 106.80, while high water during
the 1931 flood rose to R.L. 111.61. The top storage level
to be maintained in the lake by the works now proposed
is R.L. 109.50. In 1930 the River Murray Commission
was requested to report "As to the advisability of " the
construction of works or allocation of -additional water
" to protect the lower Murray against salinity." During
their inquiry it was ascertained that, on the Lower Murray
between Mannum and Wellington, where the river enters
13
the lake, there was an area of 15,5oo acres under intense
culture under irrigation, principally for dairy farming,
market gardening, and sheep fattening, the value of the
products from which was stated to be c2oo,000 per annum.
On several occasions the settlers on these areas have been
involved in a loss of production, estimated at from 25 to 50
per cent., due to the fact that they have not been able to
utilize the river water, owing either to it being too saline, or
too low to gravitate through the sluices through the levees
which ,protect their blocks from flood. Other interests con-
cerned in the maintenance of a supply of fresh water in the
lower river are the railways; the towns of Mannum and
Murray Bridge; and the farming country supplied from the
Murray Bridge water system. Representations were also
made by riparian landholders on the lakes that owing to
the influx of salt water the reeds, which formerly had a
high food value for stock on the lake frontages, had been
destroyed, and that the water was useless for stock purposes.
Wind action has a strong influence upon lake levels and
has been known to raise the water 3 feet in the river estuary.
The River Murray Commission reported that:—
" the diversions upstream have contributed somewhat
towards the conditions complained of, and it has to be admitted
that, as the upstream diversions increase, conditions will become
progressively worse in the lower river, there being no means at
present available to counteract the inflow of salt water from Lakes
Alexandrina and Albert into the river channel It has been
recognized as an economic impossibility to maintain the lake
waters fresh with the outlet to the sea unregulated, as the evidence
showed that a continuous flow of ro,000 cusecs over prolonged
periods would be necessary."
An examination of the river discharge records for
39 years showed that, allowing for the full diversions sanc-
tioned by the River Murray Agreement, there would
have been, during four years of this period, not nearly
enough water to replace evaporation losses, while in five
other years the discharge into the lakes would have been
low, but probably sufficient, with help from Lake Victoria
storage to have prevented any serious diminution of the
water level. The Commission stated:—
"An alternative proposal to the construction of barrages is that
additional water be granted to South Australia from the quota
of the other two states for the purpose of overcoming evaporation
in Lakes Alexandrina and Albert (approximately 600,000 acre feet
per annum). We do not recommend any alteration of the agreement
in the matter of allocation of water between the states, as such would
not be acceptable to the states of New South Wales and Victoria."
The Commission accordingly recommended the con-
struction of barrages near Murray Mouth at an estimated
cost of £549000. This recommendation was subse-
quently concurred in by the South Australian Parliamentary
 14 RIVER MURRAY WATERS .SCHEME -Dare..
Standing Committee on Public Works, who held an
exhaustive inquiry in 1933•
Between Lake Alexandrina and Murray Mouth there
is a number of channels. On the main channel is situated
Goolwa, which, in the early days, before the railway era,
was a changing depot for a large portion of the interior,
river steamers trading thence with supplies for the Darling,
and the Murrumbidgee, and Murray even as far as Wagga
and Albury respectively, and bringing back wool and hides,
and other products of the interior. The only use now
made of the wharf at Goolwa is by pleasure and fishing
vessels, and the question of navigation is of minor impor-
tance in connection with the barrages proposed for closing
the channels. See Fig. 18. The main structure across
the Goolwa channel, estimated to cost £328,005, is proposed
1~
0MI
ADELAIDE
NEErA
Po.poorrA
V
TANG FLAT
NTErrH
end
GOOIWa
Port E
ictor Harbor 4
d
ENCOUNTER BAY
Fig. i8.—Reclaimed Swamp Areas on Lower Murray and Barrages
near Mouth.
to consist of a still conforming closely to the section of
the stream, with concrete piers, 12 feet apart in the clear,
provided with grooves to receive stop logs. A lock for
the passage of small craft will be constructed at one end,
while, when the water is at the same level on both sides
of the barrage, .collapsible piers will be included to pass
river steamers through. It is estimated that the maximum
heading up at this structure in times of high flood will
be less than 3 inches, and that this will cause no measurable
effect at Murray Bridge. For the closing of the smaller
channels, 7,3o8 feet, between Hindmarsh Island and
Pelican Point, viz., Mundoo, Boundary Creek, Ewe Island,
and Tauwitchere channels, hinged quadrant gates will
be provided, operated by travelling winches, together
with 6,974 feet of embankment protected with stone pitch-
ing, at a total estimated cost of £221,000.
IRRIGATION DEVELOPMENT FROM RIVER MURRAY WATERS.
Allocation under Act :—In clause 49 of the River
Murray Agreement it is provided that the minimum quantity
to be allowed to pass for supply to South Australia in each
year shall be sufficient :-
1. To fill Lake Victoria Storage once (514,0oo acre feet) ;
2. With the aid of water returned from Lake Victoria to maintain
a regulated supply at Lake Victoria outlet of
134,000 acre feet per month during Acre feet
4 months... .. 536,000
114,000 „ „ 3 months... 3423000
94 000 „ „ 3 months... 282,000
47,000 ,, „ 2 months... 94,000
Total per annum ... 1,254,000
With regard to New South Wales and Victoria the
agreement provides that these states shall each have the
full use of all tributaries below Albury, with the right to
divert, store, and use the flows thereof. The flow of the
River Murray at Albury is to be shared equally by the
two states, subject to reduction on account of any diversions
either state may make from streams above Albury. Both
of these provisions are subject to a specified contribution
towards the share allotted to Scuth Australia, as set out
above.
It is also provided that after the utilization
(1) For irrigation by South Australia of the above volumes ;
(2) or by New South Wales of 1,957,000 acre feet per annum;
(3) or by Victoria of 2,219,000 acre feet per annum;
a further volume, or further volumes, may be allotted,
from time to time, by the River Murray Commission out
of any surplus over the quantities specified in the agreement.
There is also authority under the River Murray Waters
Act for the River Murray Commission, in the case of a
period of unusual drought, such as the years 1902-1903,
to vary the provisions of the agreement respecting the
amounts of water to be allocated to the three states.
As already stated, the regulated flow at Albury, which
is to be shared by New South Wales and Victoria, may
be taken to be 263,000 acre feet for 9 months in ordinary
years, representing a total of 1,183,5oo acre feet during
the irrigating season for each State, subject always to the
provision of South Australia's specified allotment.
The allocation of the available waters, in years when
the flow of the Murray River or its tributaries is below
normal, will form, no doubt, one of the most important
functions of the administration by the River Murray
Commission in the future.
Net quantities available for irrigation :It will be
seen from the above that the quantities of water allocated
to the three states under the agreement are practically
identical, viz., 1,183,000 acre feet at Albury for the upper
states, during the 9 months of the irrigating season, and
i,o66,000 for South Australia during the corresponding
period, plus sufficient to fill Lake Victoria once per annum,
which can usually be arranged from surplus flow.
Portion of these allotments will be required for locking
purposes, portion will be lost by evaporation and seepage,
portion will be required for domestic and stock supplies
to riparian holders. The balance will be available for
irrigation development, and of this balance a considerable
proportion, say, 40 per cent., will be lost in transit from
the river to the areas to be irrigated.

At this stage it is not possible to estimate with any
degree of accuracy the total area which will ultimately
be irrigated by the use of the River Murray waters, as
this will depend largely upon the localities where the waters
are to be used, and the nature of the crops to be grown
under irrigation, and this latter must be determined by
the marketing position for irrigation products in the future.
Present development under irrigation in South Australia :
The irrigation areas along the River Murray in South
Australia are of two classes. On the upper river there
is a number of settlements principally devoted to fruit-
growing, and served by pumping. See Fig. 19. On the
lower river are the reclaimed swamp areas, protected
by levees against flood, and provided with pumps for getting
rid of the drainage water. On these areas, Fig. 18, the
principal industries are dairying and fattening of stock.
i
4
&R W),WENTW
MORON NEE
W7 W 10
MB M9 MEABE
MILWBA
wlxeM. ~ERIII
MI
M{
SOUTH
AUSTRALIA
The first irrigation area on the upper river of any
magnitude was established at Renmark . by the Chaffey
Bros., under arrangement with the South Australian
Government in 1887, and is now administered by the Ren-
mark Trust. Apart from Renmark, which embraces
some 8,000 acres of irrigated orchards and vineyards,
there is under the control of the Lands Department of
South Australia a number of irrigation settlements on the
upper river, which include Chaffey (above Renmark),
Berri, Cadell, Waikerie, Cobdogla, Moorook, and Kingston.
During the year 1932-1933 there were planted on these
areas vineyards-12,055 acres ; orchards and citrus-
3,382 acres; and lucerne-786 acres; or a total of 16,223
acres producing 11,109 tons of dried fruit in addition
to large quantities of distillery and fresh fruit.
At Cobdogla, a Humphrey pump has been installed,
the only one of this type in Australia. Elsewhere the
pumping plants during recent years have been remodelled,*
and oil-driven plants have been substituted for the steam and
suction gas plants originally installed, with the result
*Notes on pumping Plants for Irrigation and Drainage Areas in the Murray
Basin, H. G. Tolley, D.S.O., M.I.E.Aust., The,7ournal, Vol. VI. No. 3, March, 1934.
RIVER MURRAY WATERS SCHEME—Dare. 15
that the cost of pumping, per . acre foot per foot lift, has
been reduced from 3.54d., in 1927-1928, to i.8id., in
1932-1933, the volume of water lifted per annum being
about the same.
The reclaimed swamp areas include Monteith,
Mypolonga, Wall, Burdett, Mobilong, Long Flat, Neeta,
Pompoota, Cowirra, and Jervois.
During 1931 there occurred the highest flood on
the lower river since 187o and considerable damage was
caused to some of the levees, with the result that large
areas of reclaimed lands were flooded, involving considerable
expense for reconstruction of the embankments.
Present development under Irrigation in Victoria :—
During the year ended 3oth June, 1933, apart from the
area watered by private landholders under yearly permit,
the extent of irrigation in Victoria from the River Murray,
C__
•11
NEW SOUTH WALES
ONLAN
t.
R[R C.—
HAY
RIFER
EU ON re
M•I
APPROXIMATE AREA
CAN BE COMMANDED
BY GRAVITATION FROM
NVAN L
Q MURRAY RIVER
L_
sY HILL
VICTORIA
1.
NOML
)I % RE kmm
Fig. ,19.Irrigation Areas on Murray River.
according to the report of the State Rivers and Water
Supply Commission was 17o,675 acres, of which 87,569
acres, or about 51 per cent., consisted of pastures, natural
and sown; while lucerne and other fodder crops represen-
ted 43,386 acres, including fallow; and vineyards, orchards,
gardens and miscellaneous 39,720 acres. The greater
proportion of this area, viz., 136,597 acres, was supplied
from Torrumbarry weir and lock, Fig. 19, by gravitation.
Prior to the completion of the Torrumbarry weir and
lock, the Cohuna, Gannawarra, Koondrook and Swan
Hill irrigation districts were supplied from pumping stations
on the river, and the construction of this structure accord-
ingly has resulted in a substantial saving in the annual pump-
ing costs. Of the balance of the area, 34,078 acres served
direct from the river, 30,472 acres is included in the Mildura-
Merbein-Redcliffs district, pumping to which has been
facilitated by the construction of the weirs and locks Nos.
to and 11, which have also removed the salt trouble
which previously existed during periods of low river.
The area served by pumping at Nyah, which is above the
influence of these weirs and locks, was 2,9oo acres during
1932-1933•
 16 RIVER MURRAY WATERS SCHEME
Of this total Australian output of dried vine fruits,
viz., 78,00o tons during 1932-1933, approximately 50,000
tons, or 65 per cent., was produced in Victoria, principally
in the River Murray irrigation districts. As an example of
the rapid development in this class of production which
has taken place since the war, the case of the Redcliffs
settlement may be quoted. This irrigation area is served
by pumping from the River Murray, and some 13 years
ago was in a virgin state. The settlement now carries
a population of about 3,000 persons, while, from the area
Of 11,052 acres irrigated during 1932-1933, there were
produced 17,000 tons of dried fruits, of an estimated value
of about £600,000. While no further extension is at
present proposed of irrigation areas for the production
of dried fruit, the construction of the Yarrawonga weir
will afford a supply of water by gravitation for fodder
growing to a • large area in Victoria, for which surveys
and investigations have been carried out.
Present development under Irrigation in New South
Wales :—The only irrigation areas served from the River
Murray, and controlled by the state of New South Wales,
are those at Curlwaa and Coomealla, which adjoin one
another in the vicinity of Wentworth, and are served by
pumps, which draw from the pool held up by weir and
lock No. to. The total area irrigated on these two settle-
ments during 1932-1933, principally for the growth of
dried vine fruits and citrus, was about 3,90o acres, and
the total estimated value of production about £-147,000.
The development of the Curlwaa area was undertaken
over 40 years ago, but the Coomealla area has only been
settled during the past 8 years. When the marketing
conditions for dried vine fruit permit of increased Australian
production, it is very probable that there will be an extension
of Coomealla, on which a large area of irrigable land of
excellent quality is available.
Apart from these two areas, irrigation development
in New South Wales has been so far limited to that carried
out by private landholders from licensed pumps, or under
Irrigation Trusts. During 1932-1933, the total area
irrigated from the River Murray in. New South Wales,
is estimated to have been about 9,00o acres.
As compared with Victoria this total appears small,
but for this fact there have been several substantial reasons,
one of the principal of which have been that sufficient
water was not available for the purposes of both states, prior
to the construction of the Hume dam. With the approach-
ing completion of that structure the position has been changed
and the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission
has been engaged for some time past in investigating schemes
for the supply of water to a large area in the Deniliquin
district. The area which can be commanded by gravita-
tion from the River Murray has been estimated as upwards
of 5,000,00o acres, and the bulk of this area can be served
by a canal offtaking above the proposed Yarrawonga weir.
To command the balance a second diversion weir will
be required, upstream of Yarrawonga. The water avail-
able will be sufficient to supply only a small proportion of
the area which can be commanded, and the principle which
is being followed is to allocate to landholders sufficient
water to permit of the irrigation of portion of their holdings,
from, say, I acre in 6 to I acre in 25, dependent upon
the size of the holding. Works are now in progress within
the Wakool Irrigation and Water Supply District, embrac-
ing 536,754 acres, west of Deniliquin. This area will
eventually be served by the main canal from Yarrawonga
but for some years to come, water will be diverted from
Simmons Limited, Printers, Glebe, Sydney.
Dare.
the Edward River, which takes off from the River Murray
above Echuca, and across which a diversion weir is being
built. A proposal for a second district, the Berriquin
district, of 605,00o acres, between Berrigan and Deniliquin,
has been constituted, while ' further schemes for utilizing
in this vicinity a further proportion of the New South Wales
share of the Murray Waters are being investigated. The
object of this development is the growth of fodders under
irrigation for the feeding of stock, and not for any extension
of fruit growing until the marketing position is more
assured.
Generally speaking, it may be stated that, following
upon the War, there was for a time a rapid development
of the areas under irrigation for the purpose of settling
returned soldiers, but with the necessity for finding
markets overseas for a large proportion of the produce
of these areas, irrigation settlement for fruitgrowing has
received a check. For some years to come the principal
use of irrigation water will probably be for the growth of
fodders for the fattening of stock, and to afford a security
against periods of drought.
CONCLUSION.
-In conclusion, the author has to thank Mr. R. H.
Horsfield, M.I.E.Aust., and Mr. J. H. 0. Eaton, M.I.E.
Aust., Members of the River Murray Commission, Mr.
S. W. Jones, B.E., M.I.E.Aust., Chief Engineer for
New South Wales on River Murray Works, Mr. D. P.
Israel, A.I.C.A., A.A.I.S., Secretary, River Murray Commis-
sion, Dr. L. Keith Ward, B.A., B.E., D.Sc., Government
Geologist, South Australia, and Mr. L. F. Harper, F.G.S.,
Government Geologist, New South, Wales, for information
kindly supplied in connection with the preparation of this
paper.
Schedule of References.
" The River Murray Water Scheme ", H. H. Dare, M.E., M. Inst.
C.E., read before Sydney University Engineering Society, 22nd
Oct., igi9.
" The River Murray Works ", J. H. O. Eaton, M.I.E.Aust., read
before Adelaide Division of The Institution, Vol. I, Trans.,
I.E.Aust., 23rd April, 1920.
" Harnessing Australia's Greatest River ", The Industrial Australian
and Mining Standard, 1920.
" Conservation Works on the Murray River ", J. S. Dethridge,
M.Inst.C.E., and T. Hill, M.I.E.Aust., Commonwealth Engineer,
September, 1924. Notes of a lecture to the Victorian Institute
of Engineers.
" The River Murray Waters Scheme ", H. H. Dare, M.E., M.Inst.
C.E., M.I.E.Aust., Commonwealth -Engineer, November, 1924•
Notes of a Lecturette to New South Wales Branch of The
Institution of Civil Engineers.
" Torrumbarry Weir and Lock of the River Murray Works
E. D. Shaw, M.C.E., M.I.E.Aust., and R. G. Knight, M.C.,
M.C.E., A.M.I.E.Aust., read before Melbourne Division of
The Institution, Vol. VIII, Trans. I.E.Aust., 1927.
" Hume Reservoir, Australia ", Pamphlet issued by River Murray
Commission, '1928.
"River Murray Waters Scheme. Hume Reservoir near Albury,
N.S.W.", R. Vowell, M.Ihst.C.E. World Engineering Congress
Tokyo, 1929.
"The Murray River Basin", Dr. Charles Fenner, Lecturer in
Geography, University of Adelaide. The Geographical Review,
Vol. XXIV, No. 1, Jan., 1934•
" The Murray River Irrigation and Navigation," R. T. McKay,
Sydney University Engineering Society, August, 1903.
" General Scheme for the Improvement of the River Murray,"
Report to South Australian Government by E. N. Johnston,
Captain, Corps of Engineers, United States Army, 1913.
Address to the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia. South
Australian Branch. Hon. John Lewis, M.L.C., J.P., 29th
October, 1917.
"The Development of the Murray River Basin," H. G. Tolley,
M.I.E.Aust. Address to Adelaide Division, I.E.Aust., 3oth
April, 1930.