The La Jara chronicle., 1909-09-17
GOVERNMENT EXPERTS
REPORT ON DRAINAGE.
The Cost of Draining the Low
Section Trivial When Value
of the Land is Considered.

drains and details of the water sys-
TEN of drainage proposed for the
water-logged lands in the immedi-
ate vicinity of La Jara, together
with the estimate of the probable
cost. Parties desiring to see the
maps referred to can do SO by call
ing on ID. E. Newcomb or A. E.
Mead.)
All open bitches are to be 6 feet
wide on the bottom. with side
slopes of l.! to l, and averaging s
feet deep. At this depth the top
width will be "a feet. A beam of
3 feet should be left on each bank.
Out of tifty-foot right-of- way
which will be required this will
leave 10 feet on each side for waste
banks. This system of drainage
will develop between 80 and 60
second feet of water, which will fill
the main channel 3 feet deep. The
soils here slip and cave badly so
that side slopes of II to l are
necessary. The bitches are de-
signed with the same section
throughout with the object of keep
ing the velocity in the upper and
sleeper parts as near as possible to
that in the main. If the upper
sections were made only 4 feet on
the bottom, the velocity of the
water would be two or three times
that in the main, with considerable
erosion of the upper parts and a
heavy sedimentation which would
fill the ditch in few years at the
point where the grades change to
lighter ones. This one thing has
been the cause of more trouble
than all the others combined in the
maintenance of open bitches in the
Middle west. OF course, we will
not have the floods to contend with
here but the principle is the same
and trouble will follow if velocities
on the upper sections are high
enough to cut and higher than
those on the lower sections.
The tumble weeds in this coun-
try make the maintenance cost of
open bitches very high. Woven
wire fences 4 feet high on each
side of open bitches as a means of
keeping the weeds out of the ditch
es are specified With this pre-
caution the weeds must be gathered
frequently and burned or the
fences will do little good.
Lumber box drains of 2-inch
plank on the top and sides, and
l-inch bottoms, with small open
ings to admit the water, have been
provided for wherever the cost has
been within that of the open ditch
W it h fences, bridges, etc. AS
there is much less water to provide
for on the short branches and lat
erals comparatively small boxes
are sufficient 1t vas found by
computation that "A combination of
two sizes would care for the water
on the branches and laterals where
the sleeper slopes were found.
These sizes are 1Sx32 inches inside
and 12x24 inches inside, the larger
size being used on the lower por-
tions. On the lower portions of
the main, there will be so much
water on the lightest grades that
covered drains cannot be used on
account of the cost. There is some
question if the annual charge for
maintenance on the open bitches
above the junction will not pay the
interest and principal during the
bond issue for the extra capital re-
quired for boxing these portions.
AS this question is one that would
require careful examinations of the
soil, etc, and inquiries as to cost
of maintaining such bitches, it is
left until the final plans and loca-
ton survey, which should be made
before "A bond issue.
Fxpar;ap,a !, tbo ,lr,;,,,,, &c -