Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-01-02
DRAINING SWAMP LANDS.

An excellent example OF the value
I of reclaimed swamp lands is found
near Lodi, Ohio. where the Garden
Isle farmers have brought to perfec-
ton the cultivation of onions and cel
cry.
There. Is at this point wide stretch
of perfectly fat land which drains 70
the north into Lake Erie by way OF
Black river and to the south into the
Ohio through Hillback creek ana
Muskgum river. At Garden isle
are $500 acres of drained land and
along Killback Creek valley for dir
lance of Is miles drainage work is IN
progress.
This valley averages one-third of q
mile in width and thus another $500
acres will soon become highly produe-
tive. Originally Killback creek car
ried the entire drainage but its chan
ne was extremely crooked and much
obstucted by trees. Another draw
back to its flow was the fact that the
fall was very slight in comparison %
the length OF the stream As it is
impracticable to increase tne tall sui
fieiently to secure better drainage the
plan has been adopted of digging .
ditch as straight as possible and d
verting into this the major part OF
the drainage including that of Kills
back creek and various tributary
streams while a small part of the
water is carried north into Black
fall Of so feet remains practically thr
same, the distance is reduced froaN
&c to IL miles, anu the grade is so in,-
proved as to insure a rate of DIS
charge sufficient TO thoroughly drain
the entire tract. The main ditch VIII
be finished this fall. II is dug with
floating dredge which requires only
a very small crew IF men for its OBS
ration. The route as . rule follows
as closely as possible The bed of Kill
back creek, which cute back ana
forth across the new channel con
stantly. At one or two points tie
new line shifts TO the edge of the bot
tom lands.
The work is being done under the
direction Of the county surveyor OF
Wayne county and win be paid for by
assessments levied by the county on
the land and proportional 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 %
indicate and better sci eIne of drain
age for Killback creek valley. These
maps do show, however, that in both
Wayne and Ashland counties there
are fats locally known az prairies
which could be wonderfully improved
by similar bitches.
The Jerome Fork valley is one o.
these and while there seems 10 have
been some talk Of its improvement no
actual work has been done. Cord,
tions here are very similar to those
in the Killback creek bottoms but tie
wet lands are wider and less
amount of ditching wc9id drain q
larger acreage.
Wayne, Medina. aid Ashland eoan-
ties are all in a ricn farming section.
Should these wet valleys be reclaimed
they would furnish the finest soil IN
that part of the state ard make mo9t
valuable agricultural lands
AS lands become more scarce ana
valuable, there is an Increased dispts-
sition to raise funds from private and
corporate sources to carry cut these
drainage projects. Unfortunately,
there are millions of acres of swampy
land so situated that their drainage
would inolve the outlay OF hundreds
OF thousands and even millions OF don
lars. Such asst undertakings can not
be financed by pirate individuals ,for
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
trust to the states with a view 10
their drainage by state aid. or are
still in public ownership
The topographic maps III the geo
logical survey constitute wealth OF
material on which to plan drainaga
works, but the government should
now go a step further and direct the
energies of the topographers more
Immediately into swampy regions. The
is possible that the result of such eur
veys win show up enough reclaimable
land to warrent the enactment of ted
eral Legislation for the general drain
age of existing swamps. Without such
aid millions of acres Of the richest
land must remain waste, while the
settlers on our western desert lands
are being helped 10 fortunes.