Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-19
Senator Burton's Suggestions
for Prevention of Losses
by River Floods.
NARROWING CHANNELS
CITED AS GROWING EVIL
State Commission Recommended,
With Supervision of Streams,
Reservoirs and Bridges.

Senator Burton of Ohio today gave out
| a statement in which he outlines his
| ideas of what should be done to prevent
| disastrous floods such as have devastated
| the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. He
pointed out that the national con-
| servation commission has estimated the
| annual destruction from floods at $225,-
| OOO,OOO
while it may be impossible to make
| any accurate computation. it is probable
| that the loss in the state of Ohio during
| the recent flood attained an even greater
| figure. Appalling losses have occurred
| in other states
I'VE must not only repair our losses
but we must adopt measures, if possible.
| which will prevent their repetition. The
| first thing to be done is to prevent OBJ
| stacles to the free discharge of water
through its natural river channels. This
| must be accomplished by building bridges
with adequate spans and a minimum of
obstructive features, by forbidding en-
crOachments on streams and in many
places restoring channels to their former
| width and depth.
1T is hardly necessary to call atten-
ton to the increased danger of floods
arising from the growth of population
and the increased utilization of agricul-
tural lands. Swamps and marshes have
been drained, bitches have been con-
structed through farms and large areas
have been furnished with tile drainage.
In cities provision has been made for the
ready run-off of water from streets and
residence lots, and sewers hasten the
flow of all this water into streams. All
these means are necessary for the profit
able and convenient occupation and use
of land in growing communities, but they
increase the tendency of floods and the
possibility of loss therefrom.
Need of Wider Channels.
Instead of providing larger channels
to meet these changed conditions. the
tendency, as l have said, has been in the
opposite direction. Channels have been
narrowed, and in almost every city
bridges present effective barriers to the
free flow of water
Measures should be taken for the
future control of streams. This question
should be carefully considered and de-
cided at an early date. How can this be
best accomplished? A state commission
might be created having supervision of
all streams whose duty it would be to
pass upon all bridges and other construc-
tons over or in the rivers and creeks of
the state. In it might also be placed
the responsibility of deciding on the suffi-
cheney, and strength of levees and reser-
voir construction, for there have been
repeated cases in which floods have been
aggravated or caused by the breaking of
dams or reservoir walls.
by reason of a desire for economy, or
because of faulty plans of construction.
in probably a majority of all the cities
and counties Of Ohio 40 sufficient provi-
sion has been made for flood prevention.
The performance of this duty requires
some body made up of experts free from
the influence of selfish local interests or
of political manipulation. For undoubt-
eddy interests are constantly seeking to
encroach upon the channels and thereby
acquire advantages for themselves which
dangerous TO the public