The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1905-07-28
Proposed New Channel for the Paw
Paw Riyer.

Ns Out little ildS Dccu Sdiu ny the
press of the project of excavating a
new channel for the Paw Paw river
and its two largest branches, the
people are not we'll informed of the
nature of the proposed work, called by
its projectors and those having il in
charge 1.-The Paw Paw River Drain,
| ask the privilege of stating through
the columns of your paper what
understand 20 be the extent and nature
of the proposed work, its estimated
cost 70 the taxpayers, its use for the
drainage and reclamation of land and
effect upon the sanitary condition
of the country along the river.
On the 10th day of August, 1908,
an application for the Paw Paw
River Drain" so called, signed by
the required number of freeholders,
but few of whom owned land through
which the drain was called for, was
presented to John Hathaway, county
drain commissioner, who, as l under
stand, without consulting interested
parties owning land and living along
the river, employed surveyor and
had the drain laid
Mr.. Hathaway vacated the Office
and his successor deemed it his duty
TO go on with work turned over 70 him,
and with a deputy called upon the
owners of the land through which the
drain had been laid, for ''release of
the right of w ay;" and | understand
of the 90 or more land owners about
20 were induced TO sign release, but
some of them say they did so under
Misrepresentation, and are now most
seriously opposed to the drain. The
survey commences on section of Law
renee, up through section l, through
section 50 of Arlington and sections
81 and %, northwest corner of Paw
Paw, and through sections %, %, p,
%, IS, main stream and north branch,
up to the west line of Almena, and
south branch through sections q, 81,
IS and 80, all in WaYerly.
From the outlet the excavation is to
be 40 feet wide on the bottom, from
40 to 81 feet on top and from 80" to
about S34 feet-deepest cuts-for the
first mile; and IS feet wide on the bot
tom, from IS to 50 feet on top and
from 500 to 8s4 feet-deepest cuts
up TO the forks on section p of Wav-
erly. l infer that the 500 depth in
dicates the crossings of the river.
Hence it appears that the new chan
mel is TO be no deeper than the old one
up to the forks of the river On the
two branches the surveyed channel is
10 feet wide on the bottom, and from
Il to 50 feet on top, and depth from
six inches to about eight feet. The
land required for the channel. and de-
posit of earth is 40 feet wide for the
40 foot channel and 100 feet for all
above, making it over 100 feet wide
for the entire length for the channel
and waste land covered by unsightly
banks of earth From the above it
will be seen that it i not drain
in the meaning of the law, or in any
sense of that word, but a new chan
mel for the Paw Paw river.
As it has been laid and approved by
county officers, without notifying the
townships and interested parties, and
declared TO be necessary by a commits
sion appointed by the probate court
OF the county; and as the legislature
has given the board of supervisors
control over the work. it must be con-
sidered county matter in which ev-
cry citizen of the county is morally
and financially interested, as well as
the townships and land owners through !
which the channel is laid. and persons
owning land and living along the river
who are to be taxed for the cost of its |
construction. y portion of the cost of |
the work and expenses, TO be fixed by |
the drain commissioner, is to be spread |
upon the townships at large through |
which the contemplated channel is |
laid, and the balance to be assessed |
upon the land along the river which, |
i'll the Judgment of the drain commits
sioner, will be benefited. either by
drainage and reclamation" or for
sanitary purposes. The cost for
excavating the channel and expenses
Is variously estimated from SIS. 900 to |
$4,000, the latter being the most prob
able amount. The expenses already |
incurred for surveying, printing, sal
aries, ETC., amount TO 8, The |
length of the surveyed channel is a
little less than II miles and the present
channel is said to be ~ miles.
The primary object Of drainage is |
to reclaim the land throug hswhich the |
drain is cut and make it more valua-
BILE, and improve the sanitary condi-
ton of the country along the drain.
The important question now is, will
the new channel accomplish these OBJ
jects and will the benefits TO accrue
from it be commensurate with the
cost?
A very large extent Of territory is !
drained by the Paw Paw river and its /
tributaries above the outlet of the |
proposed channel, extending through |
the townships of Arlington, Waverly, |
Bloomingdale, Almena, Pine Grove;
Paw Paw, Decatur, Antwerp, Porter,
and the west portion of Kalamazoo
county. The melting of deep snow,
and heavy rainfall of spring flood all
of the bottom lands, and especially
that portion of the main stream and |