New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1912-01-13
LAND DRAINAGE BY MEANS
OF PUMPS.

- .
to lift the drainage water over
levees into adjacent streams or
other drainage channels is a rec
ent development in this country.
Along the banks of many of our
larger interior rivers considerable
areas of bottom land are subject
to overflow from the adjacent
streams during the high water oc-
curing usually with great regu-
larity throughout the spring and
early summer months. Such lands
in their native state do not be-
come dry enough to be subject to
ordinary cultural operations un-
Ill well toward the middle Of the
summer, and hence can not gen
orally be used for growing ordi-
nary crops. They can, therefore.
in this natural condition be used
for nothing but pasture and have
accordingly but little agricultural
value.
Similarly. extensive marshy
areas along our coasts may be for
a part Of the. time above water
level. but are subject to overflow
at high tide. especially during
spring tides and when the river
channels which form their natural
drainage outlets are in flood. All
such low lands are, in general,
formed by alluvial deposit and
possess high degree Of fertility
when relieved Of their excess OF
water and changed from their
original saturated condition to a
degree Of moisture content suit
able for ordinary dry-lahd crops.
As physical proposition it is
possible to reclaim all such areas
for agriculture by first construct
ing levees to Keep them from be-
ing overfowed, and then, where
necessary, by installing pumping
plants to pump out from the in
terror of the district the excess
rainfall and such water as may
seep through or under the levees
in injurious amounts. But as
such work is expensive both for
the frst construction and for its
subsequent maintenance and ope-
ration, the really difficult and
fundamental question for the
landowner is. whether the value
of the land, after its reclamation.
Will be sufficient to justify the
= a / ll |ll||ll|(l ], !! |. .:.''. /: !:
lized higher land suitable for agr::-
culture there Is little demand for
the use Of lands lying so low as
to require drainage by pumps.
But the present high price of agri-
cultural land justifies a heavy ex-
penditure for the conversion to a
productive state Of areas formerly
considered almost valueless, es-
pecially in those regions whore
agricultural land values are par
ticularly high, either on account
Of unusually favorable natural
conditions or the proximity Of
large centers Of population.
Effectiveness Of Reclamation.
Some areas are so favorably sit
uated that. when once protected
by levees from inundation, salts
factory interior drainage without
THE use of pumps may be secured
by natural or gravity flow Of
their drainage waters, either
through sluice gates or through
bitches or natural streams other
than those producing the over
flow. Examples of such lands are
many tidal marshes and the vast
areas in Arkansas, Mississippi
and northern Louisiana. where
the land. protected from the Miss
issippi River by great levees, has
good gravity drainage outlets
through other streams.
But most overfowed lands arc
not so fortunately located. Ordi.
narily, in addition to q protective
levee system q pumping plant is
required for lifting the interior
drainage water out over the
levee. In fact. numerous cases
may be found in which. when the
levee system was first constructed
reliance was placed solely upor
gravity outlets for disposing o.
the interior drainage water, bu'
subsequent experience showej
that by this means alone satisfac
tory reclamation of the land coult
not be secured; hence. supple
menthry pumping plant, not con
| templated in the original plans
J was later installed.
The two characteristics which
; any agricultural drainage proiec
must possess for it perfect sue
cess are, first. effectiveness, and
| second. proftableness. In al
elaborate plan for drainage i'm
provement, when actually carric'
out. fails to drain the land suffi
ciently to secure a satsfactor.
| cultivable condition the project ]
q failure. In fact. it is eve
worse than q failure, for not onl,
may it mean an actual financla
loss to its owners. but as an eS
ample NAV discourage others fror
undertaking other projec ct
So vital is it to secure adequat
drainage. If any work at all
- 4 Isu