Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1913-05-02
CONTROL RESERVOIRS AND mi
DAYTON Hgon.

hAOoe AOhoOiC JOoAhoAo R01 $3.50
which is doing such magnificent work
for tie levee system OF the Mississippi
Valley, has another excellent article on
this question in recent issue, which we
publish below:
Nothing is more greatly needed just
now, in any discussion of the proper
methods of control of the Mississippi
River. and its tributaries, than proper
point of prospective and reasonable
sense of proportion. The area covered
by the watershed Of the Mississippi is 30
vast, and the localities affected by the
floods are separated by such great dis
tances, that the point Of view, even OF
the most serious and earnest lay student
Of the problem, has been altogether lin
ited-too much affected by what the
thinker or writer or speaker happens to
see with his own eyes.
In the presence of such food as that
at Dayton, Ohio. we are apt to believe
that the rainfall was absolutely unpre-
cedented. As a matter of fact, it is prob
able that from time immemorial the rain
storms OF the Mississippi watershed,
both in the intensity and duration of the
precipitation, have been just about the
same as they are to-day. The Dayton
food was in no sense the act Of God
rather it should be termed the price
which we pay, in this particular direc-
ton, for our modern civilization. The
foods are the result of the industry Of
the pioneer with his ak and pillow, and
of the modern farmer and road-builder,
with the ditching and constant effort,
direct or indirect, to get the water which
falls from the clouds as quickly as posi-
BILE into the river channels.
In olden days, when the districts at
fected by the recent rainfall were COW
cred with dense forests, and denser un.
dergrowth, it took from two TO three
weeks for the water to get into the river.
To-day, thanks to the general clearing
up and cultivation of the country, the
water from transforms of the same mag.
nitude will be in the rivers within two
or three days time. On the other hand
while the farmer has been smoothing the
way for a rapid run-off of the water, the
dweller in the cities has been encroach'
ing steadily upon the channels which
nature has prepared and found sufficient
No carry the food waters comfortable,
down to the sea. By piling and bulk
heading, areas, which properly belonl
to the high water channel, have beer
mulcted therefrom for the erection o
factories, wharves and warehouses
Bridges have been thrown acroes tn
channels, frequently with massive pier
and lengthy abutments, reducing thu
total cross-section available for the dov
of the water fully fifty per cent below
that which nature had found to be neces
sary at time when the run-off Of tn
rain-storms, in any given period Of time
was only from one-fifth to one-tenth o
what it is to-day.
Can the foods be prevented by refor
estation? Yes-provided the farmers vii
replant them and allow the food land
of the upper Ohio to return to nature
wilderness conditions, and il the citizen
of Dayton and other towns subject h
floods will blow up their bridge piers AM
appr ,aches, and raze all artificial struct
ures until the river is restored TO its orig
inal capacity. We are not prepared b
do that, of course. Therefore, the onl.
way to restrain the river under the con
ditiols brought about by civilization, /
to build levees of sufficient height to con
tain the food waters and guide then
safely to the Gulf. Reforestation, W
heartily believe in. 1t should be done TO
the sake of the future timber supply o
the country, and it should be done on al
areas which are not suitable for agricul
ture.
Can such floods as that at Dayton b
prevented by building reservoirs OF sue
capacity as to hold back the food water
and let them into the rivers, in such vol
umes and over such periods of time q
we might wish2 Yes; the thing could b
done; but it would involve an equal wip
ing out of cultivated lands to that de
manded for adequate reforestation. Ia
us consider few figures. At the heigf
of the recent food, the amount OF watt
J to be taken care of was such that If q re-
: voir of the size of Lake Erie had bee
{ available for storage, twenty-four houl
of that rain-storm would have caused
3 rise of six inches over the whole surfac'
Z Think of that-sufficient water falling
one day to raise Lake Erie six inches
Furthermore, il our Lake Erie storsl
! basin were built to cover the area col
: cerned in the food last month, it migl
f. happen that the next great rsin-storl
g would fall not in the upper Ohio, b
( in the upper Mississippi or the centr
2 Mississippi, or elsewhere, and our rese
|. voir of the size of Lake Erie would
merely costly testimonial to the ia
that we had not taken a proper bird
: eye view of the whole situation.
Reforestation can help q little; Al