REPORT
ON THE
CONSTRUCTION OF A WATERGATE
AT
FU-WAN, WEST RIVER.
PUBLIC WORKS OFFICE,
HONG KONG, 1st May, 1917.
The gale was of the
Photograph I:
usual type."
Photograph [1:
"A new gate and con. tingent works."
SIR,
At the request of the Flood Relief Committee of Hongkong, I made an inspection of a watergate at Fu-Wan, West River, which had been damaged by the 1914 flood.
The gate was at the outlet of a drainage channel into the West River for carrying off flood-water from a great area of land under rice cultiva- tion, embracing ten embankment districts.
The drainage channel is about 250 feet in width between the eu- closing embankments which define it. It follows a very sinuous course and extends for some 60 miles. At intervals watergates have been erected for the discharge into it of storm-Water from the several embankment districts on either side.
The gate was of the usual local type and permitted the passage of water through the embankment by means of an arched masonry culvert, the onter end of which was provided with two wooden doors, hung so as to close against a rising river and open on a falling river. The whole structure was much damaged and the outlet channel was silted up for its entire course to a depth of 8 feet at the gate and 13 feet at the point of discharge into the West River.
To repair the gate and clear and re-form the outlet channel would have cost a considerable sum of money and would not inve prevented the liability of further damage by the floods to which the West River is periodically subject. I therefore recommended the erection of a new gate and contingent works, of a type designed to obviate the disadvantages of the one in generul use in the district.
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