Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-12-27
DRAINING SWAMP, LANDS.

An excellent example of the value
of reclaimed swamp lands is fouud
near Lodi, Ohio, where the Garden
Isle farmers have brought to perfec-
ton the cultivation of onions and eel.
cry
There is at this point a wide stretch
of perfectly fat land which drains to
the north into Lake Erie by way of
Black river and to the south into the
Ohio through Hillback creek ann
Muskigum river. At Garden Isle
are $500 acres OF drained land and
along Killback Greek valley for a dis
lance of Is miles drainage work is in
progress.
This valley averages one-third of a
mile in width and thus another $500
acres will soon become highly produc-
tive Originally Killback creek car
ried the entire drainage but its chan
ne was extremely crooked and much
obstructed by trees. Another draw.
back to its flow was the fact that the
fall was very slight in comparison t.,
the length of the stream. As il is
impractlcable to increase lne fall sut-
ficiently to secure better drainage the
plan has been adopted of digging a
ditch as straight as possible and dl.
-Jgerting into this the major part of
the drainage including that of Kill
back creek and various tributary
streams while a small part of the
water is carried north into Black
River. By this means, though tbe
fall OF 90 feet remains practically the
same, the distance is reduced from
70 TO IL miles, ana the grade is so i'm
proved as to insure a rate of dis
charge sufficient to thoroughly drain
the entlre tract. The main ditch will
be finished this fall. 1t is dug with
a floating dredge which requires only
very small crew of men for its ope-
ration The route as a rule follows
as closely as possible the bed of Kill
back creek, which cuts back and
forth across the new channel con-
stantly. At one or two points the
new line shifts to the edge of the hot
tom lands.
The work is being done under the
dlrecton OF the county surveyor OF
wayne county and will be paid for by
assessments levied by the county on
the land and proportioned according
to the benefit received
An examination of the Wilmington
wooster, and West Salem topographic
sheets of Ohio, published by the Uni
te~ States geological survey fails to
indicate and better scheme of drain.
age Tor killback creek valley. These
maps do show, however, that in both
wayne and Ashland counties there
are flats locally known as prairies
whlcn could be wonderfully improved
by similar bitches.
Inc Jerome Fork valley is one of
these and while there seems to have
Deen some talk of its improvement no
actual work has been done. Condi-
tlons here are very similar to those
IN the Killback creek bottoms but the
wet lands are wider and a less
amount of ditching would drain a
larger acreage.
wayne, Medina, and Ashland coun-
Ties are all il a rich farming section
should these wet valleys be reclaimed
tney would furnish the finest soil in
mat part of the state and make most
valuable agricultural lands.
AS lands become more scarce ana
valuable, there is an increased dispc-
sltlon to raise funds from private and
corporate sources to carry cut these
drainage projects. Unfortunately
tnere are millions of acres of swamnv
land 30 situated that their drainage
would inolve the outlay of hundreds
OF thousands and even millions of dol
lars. Such asst UNDERTAKINGS can not
pe nnanced by pirate individuals nor
even by states. The aid of the Fed.
eral goernment is necessary. especi-
ally In view of the fact that most of
these wet lands have oeen patented in
.rust 70 the states with view to
enelr drainage by state aid, or are
stlll in public ownership.
The topographic maps of the geo
logical survey constitute wealth of
material on which to plan drainage
works, but the government should
now go step further and direct the
energies OF the topographers more
Immediately into swampy regions. The
IS possible that the result of such sur
seys VIII show up enough reclaimable
iand 70 warrent the enactment of fed
erai legislation for the general drain
age OF existing swamps. Without such
aid millions of acres of the richest
iand must remain waste, while the
settlers on our western desert lands
are being helped to fortunes.