Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1904-06-09
Report 81 Government Ex-
pert Elliott On the Drain
age System Of Rar-
fiScn County.

uSC OyotCill VI k1ui
risCn County.
To TIE HONORABLE, the Board OF
Supervisors of lIarrisoa County
Iowa
GENrlENEN:
AT your request have ex .mined q
part of Harrison County with view
nj suggesting proper drainage for those
lands In the bottoms which during the
last two years have been flooded and
rendered unproductive.
Description Of Conditions.
The north part OF the valley portion
OF The County between the G. Y n. w
Ry. and the foothills ls sui ject to
overflow from the Solder River, q
stream which has Its source in Ida
County and has a water shed of about
IS square miles outside of the valley
L. passes southerly about S miles, then
south westerly about miles towards
the Missouri River when it suddenly
turns to the east fer three miles and
afterwards nds its outlet In the Mis-
souri, River by veering to the south.
The part of the stream lowing parallel
with the bluffs is crooked and the
channel has become partially and in
some stretches entirely filled with
sediment. AS q result it carries only
part of the water coming to 1T from
the hill land, the remainder flo wing
over the banks and iujuring valuable
farming land. The banks are fire.
quently 3 feet higher than adjoining
land by reason of which fact the chan
mel fails to serve as a COW enient
drainage ditch for the relief of the
land from surplus water. The slope
of the land to the south is about 3
feet to the mile but the bends IN the
stream have reduced the velocity of
the current to such an extent that silt
which Is carried by the stream Is con-
stantly deposited wherever the flow is
suddenly retarded. There is a de-
preston or drainage trough on each
side parallel with the general course
of the stream and from "a to Z mile
distant from it. All ovetilow from
the stream and other drainage water
gathers upon the land instead of flow
ing into the river. 1t slowly finds its
way southwark over the surface and
through the soil The complications
arising from this state of affairs are
not confined to the land Immediately
adjoining the stream, but the overflow
affects all of the land lying west of
the c. Il n. w. Ry. in the vicinity of
Lynn Lske and that stretching south
ward to the Soldier River where it
takes its westerly course.
A brief statement of the case is this:
The channel of the Soldier River, the
natural drainage stream of this part
of the county, is partially aud in some
sections entirely filled with sediment
from Section S0.44 to the S. w. of
Sec 5, 79-44 and entirely inadequate to
carry the drainage water required
during the last two years.
The Outlet Of the Stream.
The completeness of the final outlet
OF stream largely determines Its
value as drainage channel If the
outlet is adequate the stream may be
improved with the assurance that it
will afford sufficient drainage facilities.
III respect to this point the Soldier
River is deficient. Its course ia sharp.
~ turned from south westerly
course to an easterly one at what is
known as the MeQaeen bridge. At
this bend 1t is only half mile from
the outer bank of the Missouri River.
The channel is good at this point and
it would be desirable if 1T would be
practicable to make cut ut this point
Gnd discharge the stream into the
Missouri instead of permitting 1T to
pass east and then south distance of
SIX or eight miles to its present point
OF discharge. A survey made by Mr..
Wattles May II shows some facts rot
previously known regarding the rela-
tion of the water in the Missouri to
the channel of the Soldier River at
that point. The stage of water on
that day was 81 feet reck oned from q
datum which gives Is feet as the dan
ger line, so that the water in the Mis-
souri may be regarded as being at a
medium stage. The water in the Sol
dier was * feet deep at the brid &c
and may be regarded little above
medium height. The surface of the
water in the Missouri at that time was
3 feet lower than the surface of the
water in the Soldier at the bridge, and
the bottom of the channel of the Sol
dier was AZ feet lower than the SUR
face of the Missouri. High water line
on the Missouri for the present year
was $50 feet above the present level of
the water in the Soldier at McQueen's
bridge. A line of levels carried up to
what is known as the Motz bridge on
the Soldier River which is about five
miles by river up stream from NC
Queen's bridge shows rise in the
water surface of 48 feet. An exam
ination of the channel shows about
tx feet of water, or the same depth
that is found at McQneen's bridge
The accompanying diagram will so