Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-02-25

|eVoM Wnen MADE with the utmOS
care and good judgment, will be opel
to criticism from some point Of view
Each land owner Is entitled to an,
natural drainage his land may pos
sess by right of ownership. If Their,
|are natural drainage channel!
through which he can drain his lant
without crossing his neighbors, hi
|shOuld not be assessed on any coop
|erative drainage system, unless or
the broad ground that the work will
be beneficial to the health Of the
community or enhance the general
value of property.
In designing proper drainage sys-
tenn for any given district the engi-
neer who is called upon to do the
work is often handicapped by the Pc
|titioners, who. not understanding the
different problems that enter into
the proper design insist that the
main channel he of certain length
and width and shall not exceed a
certain cost, and teh surveyor or en-
| gineer. VINO IN this state, does not
have very large practice is anxious
to do the work and allows their ideas
to Influence his judgment and de-
signs ditch to suit the ideas of the
interested land owners instead of de-
signing a ditch to meet the condi-
tions which enter into the problem.
Consequently we have some bitches
in the state that prove not only of
but small value to many of the land
owners who were assessed for it's cost
but a positive damage to others
The factors entering into the prop
err design of drainage system are as
follows: Rainfall, run-off, soil, drain
age area. cross section. era le line and
outlet.
4 study OF the rainfall record of
any locality in the United States will
SHOW that wet and dry seasons occur
in cycles of greater or less number
of years and also show that in some
seasons there may fall in one day or
a part of day as much rain as in or
binary seasons would fall in one or
more months.
1t is this maximum rainfall in a
short period Of time that must be
taken into consideration in determine
ing the proper size of a drainage
channel otherwise we may see a
stand of crops flooded and lost in !
one season sufficient to pay for the |
costs of constructing a ditch of the
right size.
A fact worth noting here is that !
during the growing season in this
valley is not far different from that
IN the northern portions of the Mis-
'lssippi and Ohio river valleys where
the annual rainfall is from two to
three times as much as here. I
Run'off.-By "run-off'' Is meant
hat amount of the water which falls
On given drainage basin which
teaches the drainage channels and
lows away, The "run-off'' varies
greatly depending on the character
If the drainage basin; whether the
slope is fiat or steep. covered with
lmber or grass, cultivated or bare.
md whether the rainfall comes gent
y and is evenly distributed or in
'to]ent storms.
Obviously DRAINAGE basin with a
steep slope will give greater
mount Of run-off than one with a
lat slope; likewise a bare slope will
i've greater amount than a tim
'ere1 or grassed one, while a cult
'ate:: one will give small amount. !!
certain amount Of the water being ,
aiken I'D by the soil. A violent
torn will give greater run-off than
the same amount fell in a greater
ength of time. Professor Chandler
u this university has made a study
II the run-off from different drain
Lge basins of the state and of west
I'm Minnesota, and it is interesting
o note the variations.
Inc average annual run-off from
ne Red Lake river drainage basin
Vt Crookston, MIMI, from 1903 to
9OS with mean annual rainfall of
twenty-five inches was four and five
enths inches, while the average an.
ual run-off from the Mouse river
|ra1nage basin at Minot, which has :
mean OF annual rainfall Of nearly ,
eventeen inches, for the same period .
4 years, was only five-tenths of an :
ach. The run-off from the Croton
liver IN New York with rainfall of =
orty'n1ne inches is twenty-three in :
hes; the Connecticut river received
rom a rainfall Of fcrty.three inches, :
f1-off of twenty-five inches, l.
So1I.-There are many different.
,1nds OF soil common to this state ,
rom which might be mentioned, clay.
y sandy, gravelly, loamy, gumbo, .
muck and hard pan. Each one has
[1fferent characteristics and each one {
equires different treatment to bring
hem to the greatest degree of filth, 8
Generally we speak of the top layer
II earth as the soil and the underly- {
ne strata as sub-soil. It is not al 6
Ways easy to say where one ends and +
he other begins while frequently the ,
me is clearly marked. 1t is these :
Oil characteristics that must be taxi =
n into consideration in laying out a 4;
rainage system. ;
Some of the soils previously men,
Toned are capable of being very re- =,
entlve Of water while in others the 9
'a1er flows quite freely among the !
articles. In soils that are retentive +
I water it is quite plain that we must =
Ian our laterals much closer togeth- !
r than in these open sandy or gravel +
y soils. ..
np1ino Avoo