Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-30
Figures Given by Supervis-
ors Of Thirty-6ve Coun-
ties Republished Because
Of Present Application.
LEGISLATURE NOW
CONSIDERING MATTER
Reclamation Project Right
at Home Brought to At.
tention of Legislators;
Improvement Needed.

ON January %. 1910. the Courier
nublished an article calling attention TO
the great loss sustained by the sta,e
through river floods. Letters were writ
ten to the boards of supervisors ask
ing them to give information as to the
amount of crop loss due to the over
flowing of streams at food tide, and as
to the amount of this land that couiu
be made to grow crops every year II
the rivers were kept within their banks
Thirty-five counties reported giving
figures relating to their crop losses and
these figures showed that 1.25O,2oo
acres Of land were made practically
useless for cultivation because OF
river overflow. The Courier then
called upon the legislature to take
some action locking to river improve
ment, giving special attention to the
question of Strengthening the streams.
At the time this matter was brought
up three years ago no action was taken
by the legislature. At the present
session, however, a resolution has been
introduced which is intended to place
the legislature on record as to the pre-
posed Improvement of the Des MONIES
river. This Improvement con1em-
plates deepening the channel to permlt
of a larger flow If water and bulldlng
dams to develop water power for the
generation of electrical energy, an I'M
provement that would minimize RIVER
overflow. The Courier believes tnat
the information given in the arucle
published three years ago Will De OF
interest to the legislature and the neo-
ple now, in connection with the pres
cit discussion of the subject, and the
article which appeared in these col
umns on Jan. %, 1910 is reproduced as
follows:
In thirty-five counties in Iowa L.
25O.200 acres of land are overno"ea
periodically by swollen rivers ana
creeks. OF this vast area of land rend-
cred practically worthless by recur-
ring floods, S51 1900. acres or consider
ABLY more than half of it can be saved
to cultivation by Strengthening the
streams which overflow it and by sclen-
tific drainage. At the most conser,
yatiye estimate this rich bottom land
that can be saved by reclamation
project here at home, can produce
crops valued at forty dollars an acre
every year.
The value of the crops in those
thirty-five counties can be increased
s34,O72,OO0 bt utilizing this overflow
land while the Courier has not re-
ceiyed returns from every county these
figures that are herewith given, show
conclusively that Strengthening the
streams in Iowa, so that the water Will
run OF, instead of backing up over the
land. will give for cultivation, over a
million and half acres OF land, that
does not now yield anything. This
land will produce forty dollars to the
acre or a total of sixty million dollars
annually This means that every year
the people of Iowa would have six
million dollars more than they now
have from their crops.
Out west the government has many
reclamation projects where the prob.
lem is to supply water to arid land.
Here in Iowa we have reclamation
project, but our problem Is different.
Iowa MAS too much water and its prob
lem Is to reclaim the bottom land and
the thousands of acres adjacent to
streams, and open them up to cultlva-
ton. 1s,.. ."r- ..g
believing that this is one of the most
important questions, before the people
of Iowa today, the Courier set about
to secure specific information as to
the amount of land in Iowa subject to
overflow with the idea in mind that
such information would be VARIABLE to
the legislature in showing the need OF
reclamation work in Iowa. ..-.
Letters were written to the boards
of supervisors in all Of the ninety-nine
Iowa counties, asking them to fill out
blank enclosed. in which they were re-
uuested to state the number Of acres
overflowed at least once in two years
by spring floods, and the number OF
acres of this land that could be saved
to cultivation if the streams Whlcn
flooded it were Strengthened.
Answers thus far have been re-
ceiyed from about forty of the county
officers. In many instances the infor
nation supplied was furnished by the
county surveyor, who was enabled to
give fairly accurate estimate OF
the extent of the flooded area. In
other cases the questions were an
swered by the members of the boards
OF supervisors on information fur
nished by the SURVEYORS. The figures
given in the accompanying table, in
which the total number of acres over
flowed and the number of acres thar
can be reclaimed are given, is all
the proof necessary that Iowa today
is far from coming up to its posi-
bilities.
Southern Iowa Has Been Backward.
Southern Iowa particularly has
been aroused to the necessity of do
Ing something to prevent the
heavy annual food losses. This part
of the state has suffered the most be-
cause it has not made provision to
carry off the increased volume of
I water turned into the rivers by the
drainage work done in northern
Iowa. In northern Iowa lakes and
aVamp lands have been drained by