The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1911-03-03
Minnesota SWamps Are Turned
Into Productive Farms.
One-Fifth of Total Area Of State OF
Minnesota is to Be Reclaimed, 40
cording to Report of Drainage
Comm ission.

st. Paul. Minn.-Reports of the state
drainage commission on work done In
Minnesota from August /, 1898. to Aug
ust l. 1910. have been placed in the
hands OF the legislature.
The commission estimates that Min
nesota had originally 100000 acres
OF swamp lands too wet In their nat
poses This vast area, comprising
about one-fifth of the land OF the state.
is fast being transformed from swamp
lands to productive farms. Conserva-
tive estimates place the total area re-
claimed during 1909 and 1910 at 1900
900 acres
bitches are constructed by the state
and by the various counties. These
are made by the drainage commission
only where such bitches will benefit
state lands. incidentally private lands
are also benefited, and in such cases
the cost is betrayed in part by assess
Ing private lands according to the
benefits. Lands owned by railroad
companies are assessed like private
lands.
During 1909 and 1910 the commits
sion has constructed or has had under
construction Is state bitches. having
an aggregate length OF AGO miles, re-
curing an excavation of 6.S2S. 1878 cubic
yards costing $605. S73.30, or an aver
age OF SIS cents per cubic yard. These
bitches will drain and reclaim 141, 144.-
% acres OF state land and 403, 640.81
acres of private lands at an average
cost OF sl.25 per acre.
The policy OF the commission has
oeen to drain only such lands as i'm
medlately will become available for az
ncultural uses and lands requiring lit
tie clearing or other expense to bring
under cultivation The work to large
extent has been confined to localities
In the proximity Of railroads and trade
eehters and open meadows and marsh
lands, the commission avoiding as far
as practicable the drainage OF lands
"here life Of valuable growing timber
would be endangered.
In the construction Of bitches, public
highways were constructed along the
side OF the ditch from the earth exca-
waited from the ditch, wherever such
construction WAS practicable. When
drainage work contracted for in the
years 1909 and 1910 Is completed, there
VIII be 400 miles OF graded roads along
the several bitches, constructed at a
enaii additional cost, the average cost
oeing not more than one-half a cent
per cubic yard. or SIS per mile Of road.
me commission with the co-opera-
'ioh or the United States geological
survey. has made a Typographical sur
'ey OF large area In Ottertail. Doug
,as' Grant, Traverse, Stevens, Pope,
o"ilt and Big Stone counties. The
same Two departments have made sur
eeys OF the following waters In the
s'aee, Tor the purpose of devising plans
'oi their improvements and preparing
oseifhates OF the cost of the work, to
Tue end that drainage work may be
iaeiltated and disastrous overfows
prevented: Parts of the Minnesota
austihka, Watowan. Embarrass, Red
"ooa, Cedar. Chippewa, Long Prairie
aa Wild Rice rivers; Stony brook
nenton county; Okabena creek. Jack
un county; channel through Pierce
layton, Bright and Turtle lakes, and
aine Laos lake. Plans. estimates and
pec'ncadons of these proposed i'm