The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-04-26
CONTROL OF FLOODS.

Il is seldom that so much concen-
trated prejudice against the movement
10 control the floods of the Mississippi
valley is found in any small compass
as Is displayed in the following brief
editorial which we find in the Phila
delphia Record:
To control the floods OF the Mississippi
by catching and holding part Of the
waters in reservoirs, Is a problem often
spoken of without any real comprehen-
sion OF fits meaning. At the present mo-
mcnt n volume of water is passing Mem
phis at the rate OF 100000 cubic feet
per second, and this Will continue Tor
thirty days The months total will be
>. .9s1. 600, ,000. 900 cubic feet. and 20 hold
only half OF this there would be required
square miles, OF an average depth OF ten
feet The Roosevelt dam In Arizona
holds only a fraction OF what one ot
IS 900 600. The cost OF such n scheme
would be prohibtive and moreover tne
ainfall which produces the MISSISSIPPI
bIc reservoir site Where does anyboaT
proposc 10 locate the catch basins tor
tho rains that recently fell IN Indlaha
and Ohio'
Senator Newlands. in his recent
article in support Of his bill pToViding
for general system Of water controi
of the streams Of this country, has
fully answered all such propositions as
tbis. He admits the impossibllity Of
Immediate control OF such floods as
devastated Indiana and Ohio cities, put
ne claims. with Justice, that proper sys-
TENS of reservoirs, Of dams, and Of
idispersion Of the waters in such great
epcrpencics would practically obvlate
apy likelihood of great damage being
inflicted. 1t is true that there may be
emergencies which. would make an
efforts TO control the food waters seem
insignificant. and yet the probability
is that with a thorough system of CON
troll the practical end aimed at would
be reached; that the floods would in
flict small damage and that IN TACT
foods would be beneficial IN filing the
reservoirs that later in the season
would give the needed supply of water
for navigation and for the generation
of power.
The figures given by our Philadelphia
contemporary, of the monthly total OF
cubic feet Of water flowing past
Memphis are very great. But if We
consider that very large quantity
of that water is the natural flow of the
Mississippi river, and that If we had
10000 reservoirs put in at an average
cost. say. Of $4,000 each, which is
probably sufficient estimate, the
whole system Of control would cost but
| little more than the building of the
Panama canal, and the impoundin2 Of
the water would presumably he COM
pIete. The natural flow Of The Mis-.
sissupi river is very great, and 1t Is
not at all likely that more than one
third Of the flow as recorded at Mem
phi= in the figures given above
would need 20 he retained i'm the thou.
sands of dams and reservoirs that
would be placed At the headwaters or
in the upper portions Of the streams
which discharge this water. IL is TO
be noted here that the statement that
the rainfall which produces the Mis-
sissippi floods ''is nearly all below any
! possible reservoir Site IS curious
iallacy. ON the contrary. that rain
/ fall is precisely where reservoir making
is easiest, safest, and cheapest.
"a is a matter of easy demonstration
that the cost of the water control sys-
TEN that Is proposed would by no
means be prohibitive. On the contrary.
the putting in Of this system Of cor
troll would be profitable business
enterprise for the United States 10
engage 10, since IL would obviatc a loss
which amounts right along 10 not less
than Sl0.O0O.0DO to s5O.O00,OOO year.
The present year. for example. viii
probably show loss Of SjO.OOG.U1o by
reason OF the floods Last year 8
/ losses by the floods In the Mississippi
valley reached total Of something
Ike sZO.UOU.OoO How many wears Of
such losses would il take TO even up in
the actual losses inflicted by the floods
the cost Of controlling those hoodsl
And when We consider, further, that
such control would keep an even Gov
OF water in the streams. practical and
STEADY stage of water for navigation,
snd would AFFORD innumerable water
powers for the development OF cleo
tririty for all economic purposes, the
argument for the system oil control j.
absolutely conclusive, even from the
money standpoint. As business propo-
sition il surely would be profitable; so
that whatever argument may be di.
-ected against the proposition OF con.
troll from the question Of cost, absolute
" fslis 10 the ground, since such con
! troll would more than pay It's way.