The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-01-28
FLOOD

FLOOD PREVENTION.
The Mississippi and several Of its
great tributaries are again rioting over
farms and through cities. and sweep
ing away hundreds of thousands of
dollars worth of property. and infltct.
ing untold loss and suffering on multi
tudes Of human beings. The problem
of controlling these great waters is one
Of the most important Of any con
fronting the nation. That the hand
of maj can entirely control these great
streams is % Of the question. There
are tasks which humanity cnnnot per-
form. But it Is certain that much can
he done to remedy conditions. and to
prevent the great losses which now oc-
cur. and which. unless something is
done. will grow greater as the years
pass. and as population in the valley
becomes more dense. Without ques.
ton n If the great contributing
causes to the disastrous floods Of re-
cent years has been the cutting Of the
timber in the valley states. Men Of
science say that there is no evidence
that any Of the activities If man have
ever caused. or can cause. any change
in climatic conditions. Temperature.
rainfall. the great atmospheric nov
ments. and all of-the conditions which
contribute to the making Of weather
have remained unchanged from cycle
to cycle. according to all the data
available. in spite Of timber cutting.
cultivation. and what not. The belief
that by growing trees or %cultivating
land or doing anything else within his
power man can change in any appre-
ciahle measure the general climate Of
a locality is dismissed as unfounded.
But man can affect. in a very marked
degree. the flow Of streams. When ev.
cry hillside in the great central valleys
was covered with timber. when un-
drained suamps of large area existed
in every river hasn. when every tiny
r!vulet was clogged here and there
with fallen logs and accumulated
brush. the rain which fell was greatly
inpeded on Its way to the larger
IL S"atI1Fc dUSoI uGu H. 10
give II up slowly in the shape Of
springs huhbling forth from between
rock strata after a long and tortuous
passage. The little streams overlooked
their low banks. and formed temporary
ponds and little lakes from which the
water would not drain quickly. The
fallen leaves Of the forest soaked It
up like a great sponge. and from this
the water trickled slowly. The winter
SHOWS were protected by the trees
from rapid thawing. and the sudden
freshets due to melting snow were
much more rare than now All this Is
changed. The hills are bare. the
swamps are drained. the brooks are
cleared ou and Strengthened. The
rain falls and sweeps down the hill
sides, and is not checked until it has
Joined the water from a thousand 9th.
er hills In the great rivers. The result
is that heavy rains or suddenly melt
ing SHOWS are followed by disastrous
floods. It is generally admitted that
three things must be done to bring
about any satisfactory results. wher-
ever possible there must be more
planting Of trees 10 restore at least
some Of the conditions which former.
ly prevailed. To take the place.of the
great natural reservoirs which nature
had provided in the shape Of swamps
and partially choked streams there
must be greater artificial reservoirs
wherever possible to catch and re.
tain az much Of the flood water as may
be done before 1t reaches the streams.
Finally. along the lower reaches Of
the great rivers there must be new
and greater levees to conine the water
within a recognized channel. The two
former are the really preventive
works. Without them the latter viii
be but a partial and temporary rem
edy. certain at some time TO fail. and.
when failing. to inhict more. and more
damage. The most valuable, construc-
tive work lies at and near the head
waters Of the streams.