The Thibodaux sentinel. (Thibodaux, La.) 1905-1912, 1911-06-17
DRAINAGE WORK IN TEXAS
GOVERNMENT TO COOPERATE
WITH STATE BOARD.
There viii Be Two Stations in Texas.
Work to Consist Of Examination
. Of Lands, Etc.


ference held by State Drainage Com
missioner Arthur A., Stiles, with Sec
rotary Wilson of the department of
agriculture and various division chiefs,
the department has ordered the drain
age division to cooperate on drainage
work in Texas with the Texas State
levee and drainage board. Stations
will be established at Houston and
Brownsville, from which points the
two supervisors designated to carry
on this work in Texas will organize
their forces for operations in the
coastal plains. H. A. kipp, drainage
engineer, will be in charge of the
headquarters at Houston, and w. H.
Hall, drainage engineer, in charge OF
the headquarters at Brownsville.
Their forces will investigate the drain
age problems in those sections and
will transmit all of the results of
those investigations to the State levee
and drainage board, the State board
reciprocating the favor in the sec-
tons where it is at work.
Discussing the scope and character
of this cooperation, Chief Drainage
Engineer Wright says:
"This work will consist, first of the
general examination of certain valleys
and counties where there is interest
among the land owners in the reclaim
ing of lands for agriculture. In the
course of these examinations all OF
the information regarding the physi-
cal conditions which relate to the land
from lack of adequate drainage will
be obtained and arranged in the form
of reports. This information will in
clude the areas of land injured, the
condition which produces injury either
from overflow or, in the case of the
level coast lands, from lack of drain
age channels to remove the surplus
water. All facts of this character
which can be gathered without an in
strumental survey will be carefully
and conclusions drawn as to
what preliminary steps should be
taken in securing the betterment of
the lands which have been examined
when such surveys are made the
office will cooperate with the people
on the local drainage commission, pro-
vided the local authorities contribute
one-half of the cost of |
the survey. Where surveys are made, |
the object is to assist the people in |
handling the local problem in such a |
way that they, can do the work eff !
ficiently and economically. Where |
plans and surveys are made it will be |
that the owners will proceed |
with the work in accordance with the |
Instructions of the office, and in doing |
so will furnish an example of good |
localities where the same method of |
may be employed. |
Copies of all reports and surveys |
which are made will be presented to
The State levee and drainage commits
sioner. He, as well as the land own
ers, are at liberty to present their
drainage problems to this office with
the assurance that they will receive
all of the attention it is possible to
give them. By combining the work
If the State and Federal offices in this
way, it is hoped that drainage of agri-
cultural lands in the State may be
promoted along practical
lines without any duplication or con-
'lict along the several lines of activity
which are required in the develop
nent of the lands of the State"