Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1902-07-24
nas been done for the samo selfish

has been done for the Same selfish
purpose.
The facts are that all of the
petitions we're drawn in Mo Val.
ey md sent to the various town.
shil's lrtelested, and also to Po.-
Saw ,,talAie county to start the
oetit4ons and get the matter be-
fore the people.
The action of the people of Mo
Valley in this matter shows that
they did not ask or expect to be
specially favored" as stated by
your correspondent, but desired
he adoption of general drainage
system which would largely in.
.rease real estate valua in Harri
son county.
Your subscriber is correct in
suggesting that competent and
skilled engineering services be
secured to make surveys and re-
commendations for drainage. so
that the plans can be utiliz I'd ia
the future and the money not
thrown away.
The plan which has thus far
been adopted shows the complete
topography of the lands described
in the petition, the plat showing
the comparative elevation of aech
section OF land and how it can
be best and most economically
drained. This plat is on file in
the office of the County Auditor
and accessible to any one inter
ested. Copies of this plat, we are
informed, may bs obtained by ap-
plying to the Commissioner.
The suggestion is made that
application be made to the u. s.
government through our member
OF congress for an appropriation
to cover the costs of such works
as are necessary and subscriber
recites the fact that Congress has
recently passed an irrigation law.
But he mistakes the object of this
act OF Congress as it is not passed
for the benefit ofany individual or
community, but to reclaim and
render productive arid govern
ment land, 80 that it can be placed
on the market and sold. This
matter OF drainage is not a mat
ter of national or state interest,
but a pn,ely local matter in which
only few townships in Harrison
county are interested, and ii
would he contrary to all precedent
for the u $. government to take
a hand in it or make any appro-
priation toward the cost of it.
The laws of the state determine
the manner in which schemes of
this kind shall be carried out and
how they shall be paid for and ]
believe that our Board of Super
visors and the County Auditor
have endeavored to comply with
the provisions of this law.
Your subscriber volunteers in
formation as to the proper size Of
a drainage canal, with details as
to dikes, slopes, inlets, etc, which
no practical man could decide
without first aseertaining the area
and topography of the drainage
basin, the rainfall, the grade line
that could be adapted, the char
acter of the material and the up.
proximate volume of water to pro.
vide for. Knowing these the usual
formula for the flow of water in
open channels could be used, from
which the proper cross section
could be determined and the loca-
tion and dimension of dikes and
inlets.
The increase in the value of the
Missouri river bottom lands dur
ing the past three or four years
will warrant the expenditure of a
large amount of money in pro
tecting them from overflow.
From the experience with silt
bearing streams in this country
and in older countries it would
seem that the cheapest and most
efficient way to control them would
be by strengthening their chan
nels, increasing the cross section
when the same is necessary and
building proper dikes. The Fro.
per location and cost of such i'm
nrnvamants can only be deter.