East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-10-04
DRAINAGE As IMPORTANT AS IRRIGATION

In a country like eastern Oregon,
where irrigation is the battle cry, the
subject of drainage has small place
in the public interest. However, the
drainage problems in the United
States are Of equal magnitude to the
irrigation problems as the following
government circular on drainage will
show:
There are in the United States over
sixty million acres of swamp lands.
Now that agricultural lands are be-
coming scarce and the government
has shown what 1t can do to water
the barren deserts of the west, the
people of the country are beginning
to realize that the government might
be equally successful in removing
superahundant water.
The fact has been established that
by drainage these waste swamp lands
may be rendered habitable and pro-
ductive. Since the government has
set aside millions of dollars for the
reclamation of the desert lands of the
arid west through the agency of irri-
CATION, this fact is specially interest
ing, TO rthe vast swamps of the lower
Mississippi valley and of Florida, of
the Sacramento valley of California,
of northern Minnesota, and the south
eastern coastal plain are now the only
great remaining sources of future ag-
ricultural lands
The effort to drain swamp lands be-
gan, like the movement to irrigate
the deserts, with the individual, was
ta ken up by the corporation or colony
and is now fast becoming the concern
of the state. In northern New York,
Ohio and Wisconsin corporations as
well as individuals have drained some
OF the larger swamps and now raise in
them the finest quality of celery,
onions and asparagus. In California
the state has aided in draining the
tule lands of the lower Sacramento
valley are called. Here are grown
crops of asparagus, onions, and other
vegetables that love rich and moist
soil.
In Florida a governor has recently
won an election on the drainage issue,
and the people of that state are hop
Ing to drain not only their more acces-
sible swamps, but possibly even the
great Everglades. In Minnesota and
North Dakota state drainage COM
mission has been organized and vast
areas are being drained and settled
under state auspices.
The state having taken hold of the
subject, il soon became evident that
they were unable to cope with It,
because of complications due to the
possession Of these lands by private
individuals, by the federal govern
ment, and by the states themselves
As demonstrated by the history OF
| irrigation development, the only pos
sihle agency through which drainage
works can be planned and con.
structed in "A broad way, on modern
principles. without the complications
resulting from divided ownership is
| the federal government.
| re dliZlng this, members of congress
have introduced bills for the drainage
OF swamp lands. None of these has
been enacted, but several received the
careful consideration of the proper
committees during the last session Of
congress. It is safe to assume thai
favorable legislation will eventually
follow and 1t is to be hoped that Il
may take form analogous to tha
under which the similar problem o.
reclamation by irrigation has beer
worked out in recent years by thu
reclamation service OF the United
States.
Great Drainage Problems.
When the subject of reclaiming art
lands by irrigation was first under dis