Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-20
SUBMIT FIGURES ON DITCH
Cost Of Harrison and Pottawattamie Scheme
Placed at S97,46I
THR1Y-S.WN MILES OF MAIN bitches
Area Drained Estimated ut 15J
square Miles, in which Most Of
the Crops Were Flooded
Last Season.

According to the report filed yesterday
With County Auditor lines by Commits
sioners J. X. McGavren Of Missouri Valley
and Robert B.. Wilson Of Carson, the cost
Of the proposed drainage bitches in Har-
rison and Pottawattamie counties will be
Ss7, 467.73. The commissioners estimate
that 1856 square miles Of land in the two
counties will be directly benefited. This
report will come before the boards of
county supervisors OF the two counties at
their regular meeting in April. J. X. Nc
Gavren is the commissioner appointed by
Harrison county and r. B. Wilson is the
commissioner appointed by Pottawattamie
county. They have selected Thomas Tos-
tev'n of this city as engineer in charge
of the work.
The commissioner before making their
report went over the ground and made a
thorough investigation of the existing con-
ditions and the need for the proposed
drainage bitches. AS a result OF their in
vestigations they have to all intents and
purposes accepted the surveys made by
County Surveyor Cook in Pottawattamie
and those made in Harrison county by
Surveyor ]. s. wattles. They recommend
only a few minor changes in the two sur
veys.
The commissioners recommend the con-
structlon of two bitches in Harrison county
which will meet in Pottawattamie county
at a point in Rockford township and from
there be merged into one large ditch which
will drain into the Missouri river. The
total length Of the bitches will be about
thirty-seven miles.
Location of bitches.
The two bitches in Harrison county are
designated as the Willow creek and the
Allen creek bitches. The one in Pottawat-
tamie county is designated as the Boyer
Cutoff ditch. The Willow creek ditch will
start about Ave miles north Of Missouri
Valley passing directly through that town
and after merging with the Allen creek
ditch in Pottawattamie county will tap the
Boyer river at a point about one mile south
OF Loveland. The Allen creek ditch starts
in Raglan township in Harrison county.
! These two bitches come together in Pot
tawattamie county about one mile north Of
the Boyer river and from this point they
form one ditch until they tap the Boyer.
From the point where they enter the Boyer,
a ditch to be known as the Boyer Cutoff
ditch will be constructed in almost a
straight line to the Missouri river. This
ditch will be about one and one-half miles
in length and will strike the Missouri river
in section 20, township II. range A.
The Boyer river formerly ran directly
to the Missouri but of late years has fol-
lowed an cratic course and from the point
where the two bitches enter 1t Is eleven
miles to the Missouri river. BY making
the Boyer Cut-off ditch one mile and a half
in length, ten miles will be saved and for
most Of the way the old course OF the
Boyer can be utilized.
Estimates on the Work.
The total amount Of excavation which the
construction of the bitches will necessi-
tate, the commissioners estimate at 8S4,SSl
cubic yards, divided as follows: Willow
creek ditch, 41S, S4S; Allen creek ditch,
1922, S36; Boyer cutoff, 9S,147.
The estimated cost of the drainage scheme
is placed as follows: Cost OF excavating, at
s cents per cubic yard, $66, 7S6.4S; cost OF
right-of-way, $16. 6s1.25; expenses of com
missioners and engineer, $4,000; appraisers,
$500; miscellaneous expenses, $500; total
SS7, 467.7 3.
The commissioners in their report state
that during the last year the larger part
Of the area which will be benefited by the
drainage bitches has been Hooded severely,
~injuring or totally destroying the growing
crops. The conditions in Pottawattamie
county, they say, are similar to those In
Harrison county.
Regarding their suggestion that the water
from the proposed bitches be carried to
the Missouri river by means OF the Boyer
cutoff ditch instead of following the pres
ent course OF the Boyer, the commissioner
say that the Boyer river, having an APP
|, proximate water shed II 300 square miles
with a channel varying from forty to sixty
feet in width and from twelve to fourteen
feet in depth and for many miles In Pot
tawattamie county having practically lie
fall, It is unable to carry the overflow OF
the proposed bitches. AS It is at present
1t is only able TO carry its water through
by the force OF head or weight of the water
above.
The commissioners say there is no foun'
dalton for the report that the sewerage
OF Missouri Valley would be drained through
the Willow creek ditch. which passe;
through that town. The work OF construct
ing the bitches, they say, can be completed
/ in one season.
n. Y. Plumbing Co.. Eel. $50, Night. Fee7.