Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1903-06-11

may |5e seen by the following:
missouri River relative high
water elevation in feet, re-
ferred to the ST.. Louis direct
rix: Kansas City (ls4D 341. IL;
QSSD 331.1O; (1SS3) 327.S6;
Q882) 32S.3O; Blair Q344) un-
known; QSSD 597.4O; (1SS3)
$500; 1892 5s6.7G." From
Kansas City to the mouth of
the Missouri River. the floods
of 1914 average ten feet above
the floods of 1881.
Abnormal rainfall cannot be
assigned as the prime cause of
the increased number of over
flows:
Average rainfall Qs6O-1Ss5)
34.6 inches; Q8s5- 1902 1886
inches; greatest annual rainfall
QS97- 1902 32.35 inches.
To lower the flood plain of
the Mississippi River a plan to
create additional outlets was
proposed, and after a long and
costly investigation the plan
was rejected as not applicable
to the Mississippi River.
Concerning the normal effect
Of combining the water to one
channel and the advisability of
Increasing the number of out
lets ON sediment bearing
streams that are subject to
overflow, | submit the follow
ing opinions of river engineers:
81 would apply the levee sys-
tenn to Red River and thereby
facilitate and expedite the
washing out and enlargement
of the channel by retaining all
the water possible in the main
river. Levees should he located
far enough back from the river
bank for enlargement; and out
lets which divert the water
from the main channel should
be closed from time to time
and SO rapidly as the enlarge
ment of the main river will
admit of it's being done"
Bayley.
cit is known that a large
part of solid matter moved by
force of the stream from above,
forming obstructing bars be
low, passes on very near the
bottom, and that outlets, there
fore, while decreasing the abil-
ity of the stream to do its
work, OF it's volume and velocity
do not proportionately diminish
the work required to be done
or the burden of solid matter to
be moved Suter, Comstock.
Mitchell, Harrol, Taylor.
"The proportion of sediment
to water in the Missouri River
by weight is 1895. The sam
pies of water that we analysed
were taken at the surface, mid
depth and one foot from the
bottom, and the arithmetical
mean was taken. The increase
of sediment from the surface
to the bottom was such as to
lead to the inference that the
amount of sediment moving in
, the lowest stratum might be
equal to the amount collected;
for this reason, it seems prob
} able that the amount above
given would have to be doubled
to get a just idea Of the amount
of solid matter moved. Rept.
of Mo. River Commission.
"There is but one case in
which outlets are proper and
that is in the improvement of d
tidal stream, subject to destruc-
tive freshets from the non-tidal
portion. Willard.
At the time this statement
was made, Willard had nineteen
rivers of the South for inn
provement, as we'll as ten adj
ditional rivers and seven lakes
for examination and report
!. his opinion is, at least, worthy
, of consideration.
where there are few out
let's to raise the level Of beds in
sedimentary streams the effect
of volume gives increased vel
!, ocity and the combined effect
! deepens the bed and enlarges
the surface Fauntleroy.
"The three outlets or Passes
/, of the Mississippi River are OBJ
structed by bars formed by de.
posits of sediment brought
!, down by the river, while these
Passes have a velocity of three
to four feet per second, it re-
quires an expenditure of $780,