Story: Irrigation and drainage

Border dyke irrigation

Border dyke irrigation

In a border dyke irrigation system, when water is diverted from the main water races into smaller ones on farms, a temporary dam must be created at the outlet to each ‘border’ so the water spills through onto pasture. Here, at the Winchmore Irrigation Research Station, the outlet behind the man in the water has been closed with a board, the pasture on the right of it has been flattened by the previous flow of water. He is lifting a corner of the canvas dam to allow water to flow down to the next temporary dam. This is keenly observed by the Duke of Edinburgh during his visit to New Zealand in 1954.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, National Publicity Studios Collection
Reference: 1/2-042266-F
Photograph by Edward Percival Christensen

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Terry Heiler, 'Irrigation and drainage - Irrigation methods', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/19637/border-dyke-irrigation (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Terry Heiler, published 24 Nov 2008