The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1905-03-10
But it is the country back of this be-

But it is the country back of this belt
next the river, reaching to the "Pembina
Mountains" some fifteen or twenty miles
in width in this county, that has the diff.
fculty in learning how best to dispose of
its surplus rain water, and this is further
complicated by the fact that not only are
the people in this beltnot able to drain
the water into the branch rivers like the
Tongue and Pembina because these
rivers already have all the water they
can carry away, but the further fact that
these branch rivers have fashion at
times of overflowing their banks at dis.
tances from ten to twenty miles back
from the Red river, and the surplus
water goes flowing across country, and
delugiDg farms long way distant, that
otherwise would be high and dry even
in wet season; and it sometimes hap
pens that the oyerAows take place when
the local country is dry, the water caus-
| ing the overflow coming from melting
snow in the mountains.
So that any systematic plan OF drainage
must take these facts into consideration;
not only must the drains be made with
reference to ordinary or extraordinary
spring rains but the drains must also be
so planned that they will also take care
of the surplus water which tor anv rea-
son comes over the banks of the Tongue
ard Pembina rivers, and conduct it safely
to the main Red river.
The Pioneer Express long time ago
advocated at jeraphical survey OF the
county. W. fgued that nearly all the
dltching tina as yet been done had in
a sense been begun at the wrong end.
That is, they had been all built without
reference to each other, and worse than
that, without reference to the lands back
or farther away from them, that would
have to be drained into the bitches al
ready built. Further, our law as the first
preliminary to getting ditch calls for a
petition, which petition shall describe
the course Of the proposed ditch. Now
it is not possible for any one on this al
most level prairie to say by "rule of
thu NIB" or other guess work as to the
proper direction for an economical and
tficient ditch. Common sense says that
survey should be the first proceeding.
We have known bitches dug in this
county where the water surprised the
diggers by running up hill. What is
needed is several large bitches. running
direct to the Red river across the county
and then lateral and smaller bitches run
into these. 1t is obviously of no use to
ditch into the Tongue and Pembina
rivers after last seasons experience. A
Typographical survey will give sufficient
data for the petitioners to at least know
whether they are trying to run the water
up hill or down, will give them some
knowledge as to where the water
will 60 when it gets to the end of the
ditch, and also whether it will have suf-
ficlent fall and capacity to take care of
water from other bitches that are likely
to later be led into it. We favcr a topo-
gropnlcal survey. but of course want
something that will be worth the money
expended. And a good survey would
be worth lot more money tnan is asked
for by the government. It would be
very valuable for even the township
supervisors when laying out highways
and digging the bitches along the grades,
which now is mostly done Dy pure guess
work.
Systematic drainage is necessity that
all can see since last season, and as to
cost. last years losses would pay not
only for the survey but for most of the
main bitches needed. We believe that
the country in the immediate locality and
tributary to Bathgate lost last season not
less than $50, 600 from the effects of the
local floods Of the Tongue river, and that !
much money would pay for lot of
ditching.
We hope to see the county press take
np this important subject and we are
sure that the county board would be very
glad to have an expression Of opinion
from as many interested taxpayers as
possible, before they take action on the
matter at the April meeting ofthe Board
s%s5 sSs sts3 st
Deacon Wardwell does the end. man q |
gross Injustice in assuming that be lthe