Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-10-02
MUD LAKE DRAIN WILL BE CON-
PLErEp WITHIN FEW
DAYS.
PROJECT FIRST AeirArEo
ABOUT FIFTEEN YEARS AGO
Big Ditch. Terminating at Jewell, Will
Drain $500 Aerss-Fear Entertained
That Small Crooked Stream Will
Not Carry Away Flood Water
Ditch Completed at Cost Of $4,000.

webster CITY, Oct. w unln ABOUT
a week and half the Northern Con-
struction companys big dredge boat
Lake ditch project the past two years
will rub its nose abainst the stone
piers of the railroad bridge just east OF
the pepot in Jewell, and with that act
one Of the biggest drainage enter
prises of central Iowa. a project that
first was proposed nearly fifteen years
ago, will finally he consumated. The
big beat has for the past couple Of
weeks been working gradually down
along the east line of the Gilbert
knudson farm north of town. adjoin-
ing the public highway. and is now
about to cross the road midway he
tween the south and the middle OF the
three OLD bridges that have spanned
the stream in its former meander-
ings three times across the public
highway. James Frederickson has
had his new concrete mixer and a
force of men at work constructing
the concrete abutments for the new
trussed steel bridge that Will span
the ditch where it crosses the road.
The ditch replaces the former crooked
stream and all three of the old bridges
will he torn out and filled no. Super
intendent Berkley of the ditch COM
pany is confident that by the latter
part of this week the dredge will reach
the railroad bridge and the big ditch
will be finally completed.
Project Aeitatsd Fifteen Years.
It was nearly fifteen years ago when
D. A. Kent. associated with others. be-
gan the agitation to drain Mud Lake.
and even tho now drained. there is
yet large altho not aggressive OPP
position TO the project. The fear even
yet expressed is that the ditch bring
ing the water down from the thous-
ands OF acres that 1t will drain. will
carry a volume too heavy in flood
times for the crooked stream beyond
to carry off. and the farm lands below
the ditch will be flooded. If such
proves to be the case. 1t is possible
that the ditch will yet have to be car
ried on further to its outlet In Skunk
river
Task q Gigantic One.
The work of digging the main
ditch began a year ago last May and
the digging Of the lateral ditches
above began two years ago in Aug
ust. The total amount OF dirt thrown
out Is estimated at about 100000 cubic
yards. The total cost Of the ditch
is about 100000 There are about
I 900 acres Of farm lands included In
the drainage district as established by
the county board OF supervisors. but
the total amount Of acreage that Will
actually be drained will exceed by Tar
that figure. All the lands extending
north almost to Blairsburg have ma
tural drainage into Mud Lake. and II
ie estimated that the water from near
" fifteen thousand acres OF Hamilton
county lands will actually be carried
down thru the Mud Lake drainage
ditch 1t thus becomes apparent what
a tremendous amount Of water will
come rushing down that channel at
certain wet seasons Of the year. Viewed
from all aspects the Mud Lake drain
age ditch easily becomes one OF the
largest and most important drainage
Of central Iowa.
Railroad May Build Reservoir.
Another feature Of interest con-
nected with this ditch lies in the pos
stbility that the G. & n. w. railway
may build at Jewell a mammoth reser-
voir to supply water for Its engines.
are under way with SUI
perintendent Berkley OF the dredee
company for the construction OF Dig
in the railroad yards east
of the depot and along north OF the
tracks. The plan is TO dig reservoir
about Atty feet wide or more az 1t can
be constructed, about fifteen feet deep
OF more where possible. and extending
all the way east from the ditch to the
pofnt where high land is encountered
about south Of Carl Voss' place. Such
a reservoir will have. it is estimated,
OF nearly seven hundred mil
lion gallons. and it is estimated that
the water that can be collected In this
mammoth reservoir brought down In
the Mud Lake ditch will furnish an
ample supply of water for the needs
of the railroad company at Jewell. and
thus solve the water problem with
the railroad company has been con-
for several years past