94 SCIENTIFIC SURVEY OF NOTTINGHAM AND DISTRICT 



ation, as of a total of 2,578,539 acres, only 375,000 acres can be termed 

 low land; and as this area includes long lengths of narrow valleys which 

 will never be formed into Internal Drainage Districts, it is obvious that 

 the total area of all Internal Drainage Boards will never be more than a 

 comparatively small percentage of that of the Catchment Board. 



Co-operation with Public Authorities 



A Catchment Board's interests may easily conflict with those of other 

 pubUc bodies, but, on the other hand, a co-operative spirit between the 

 parties concerned can but result in the common good. 



The River Trent Catchment Board keep in close touch with the Trent 

 Fishery Board for instance and by common consent it is agreed that 

 dredging operations alone have improved fishing in many instances. 

 Again, the Catchment Board maintain close co-operation with all road 

 authorities in respect of river bridges, and whereas, in the past, bridges 

 have been constructed both too small and too large, all plans for new 

 structures must now be submitted to the Board, who are able to give 

 advice on such details as spans and head rooms. 



Another aspect of co-operation lies in Regional Town Planning 

 Schemes, where the Board are in a position to advise on the sterilization 

 of lands against buildings in cases where such lands form natural wash- 

 lands. 



Finance 



An article on the River Trent Catchment Board, however brief, should 

 have a reference to its source of funds. Here again the Land Drainage 

 Act of 1930 sets out clearly the source of a Catchment Board's revenue, 

 namely : — 



(a) By precepts on County Councils and County Boroughs within the 

 area, ordinarily limited to 2d. in the pound of rateable value. 



(b) By precepts on its Internal Drainage Districts for such amounts as 

 are considered fair and reasonable, and 



(c) By Government Grants. 



The River Trent Catchment Board has now stabilized its precept under 

 (a) at l|d. in the pound for 7 years ending 31st March 1944, while under 

 (c) the Government have made a grant of 30 per cent for the first 

 £1,000,000 instalment of the Comprehensive Scheme. The estimated total 

 annual revenue from the foregoing sources is approximately £225.000 

 which will be sufficient to cover the cost of the first £1,000,000 of the 

 Comprehensive Scheme together with all administrative and maintenance 

 charges during that period. The Board's financial policy therefore is to 

 avoid loans, and the ultimate saving to the ratepayers of such a policy 

 cannot be gainsaid. 



