The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1909-12-02
PUBLIC SERVANTS-THE STATE
ENGINEER.

South Dakota has me usual mgnber
y. state officer wno are paid for their
services from the publ treasury. In
ordcr to secure tlo larses. measure 81
efficiency from these public servants Il
is desirable that the public become
familiar with the work and purpose
OF these Offices, both elective ana ap.
pointivc. and avail themselves Of the
departmental system maintained at
public expense.
The Office of state engineer furnishes
an exemple of the possibilities Of i'm
proved service through public coop.
GRAFTON, as it may come directly into
contact with every section Of the state
where works of a public nature inyoiy-
ing engineering problems are under
taken.
To obtain the best results in all pub
lie drainage work. although by law
placed under direct control of county
boards, it should be done under super
vision of the state engineer. This i'm
portant public office was not created
in this state until the government took
hold of the Belle Fourche irrigation
project, when notice was served that
the government would not proceed
until the state provided a state en-
gineer TO cooperate in the work. The
present officer, s. II. Lea, was appoint
ed by Governor Elrod and has held
the office continuously since. He has
on file in his office the records of more
than sixty drainage projects through
out the state. II is his duty to act
in AN advisory capacity in any drain
age work OF a public nature undertake
en- in the state. In ases where the
project is small and of a purely local
character. his services are not so nee
essary. but he is ready TO advise at any
time. In a large drainage undertaking
where much adjacent land is affected,
and especially where the drainage
project in its entirety would extend
into two or more counties, it is prac-
Ideally necessary to have the pl 'ns
outlined under state supervision. A
local project may be destined eventual
~ TO become a part of a much ] rger
system and the work should be I'M
dertaken with the purpose of conserv-
ing effort and expense. The time of
the state engineer is available to any
county without cost, only legitimate
expenses being charged up 10 the coun-
~. and his services are willingly Civ
en- and should be sought in any i'm
portant work. At present he is in
~vestigating noderr machinery with n
view TO supplying a more economical
method of constructing bitches which
are too small for n floating dredge end
too large for ordinary cap3tain pillow.
In every section where a drainage
project has been properly carried out,
the results have been more than salts
factory, and in q number of instances
a single crop has been sufficient to
pay the cost to the affected land,
The problem of drainage is becom-
ing an important n in many parts
OF the state, but the progress of the
work under state supervision has beer
retarded by a peculiar prejudice. es-
pecialIy among the older inhabitants,
against applying drainage to their
lands. The prejudice is perhaps a
natural one. South Dakota has in
times past, been afflicted with dry
years and the reputation has chung to
her far beyond the time when 1t
should have been relagated TO
the ancient history column together
with other hardships of pioneer days.
The purpose of a drainage ditch
however. is not to ~overdrain land in
dry weather, but to carry off surplus
water in a wet season II is prac-
tically impossible for proper drainage
TO injure farm land, but 1t is absolute
1y necessary on many farms to make
the land tillsble in a wet season,
the land tillable in awet season.
Sioux Falls Press.