Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-16
THE FLOOD LESSON
Entertainments on Streams
Increased the Losses.
REMEDIES FOR CONDITIONS
Engineer Commission Needed to
Study Whole Problem-Con.
servation Of Water.

Senator Theodore f. Burton, in Review Of Re-
views.
AS the most serious damage resulting
from swollen streams occurred in the
cities and towns located along their
banks, naturally most Of the remedies
suggested have related to local condi-
tons. Most Of these proposals contem-
plate the removal or remodeling Of OBJ
structive bridges, and the charging and
Strengthening of channels, and similar
improvements. The purpose of nearly all
these plans is that OF facilitating the dis
charge of flood waters. The difficulty
with all such methods is that while they
may relieve local danger they all tend
to pass the water on with constantly in
the stream.
There will be no satisfactory solution Of
the problem of flood prevention until a
plan is devised for a comprehensive. con-
troll and Improvement of watercourses in
their entirety. One Of the most trouble
some phases of legislation relating to
both navigable and non-navigable streams
Is the multiplicity Of jurisdictions. AS
long as the federal, state and local gov
ernments all have certain jurisdiction,
without any central directing authority
there are sure to be ill-advised, incon-
sistent and conflicting plans OF improve
ment.
Wanted: An Engineer Commission.
As the country develops and becomes
more thtckly populated the necessity OF
improving all natural watercourses with
q view to securing their maximum bene-
fcial use for all purposes, including do
nestle uses, navigation. irrigation, water
power and for flood prevention, becomes
more and more important and increas-
1ngiy OF national concern. 1t is, there
fore. highly important that the control
OF these streams should pass wholly to
the federal government or to the fed
eral government with the cooperation Of
the states. under some plan that will re-
suit In harmonious and comprehensive
plan OF Improvement.
To meet the more pressing needs Of
flood prevention 1t would probably be ad-
visable that. first Of all. a competent COM
mission OF engineers should make q
thorough study of the problem, especially
IN the Ohio and Mississippi valleys, where
the most serious foods Of recent years
sible to formulate any intelligent scheme
with the data now at hand. Some means
should at once Be provided for prevent
ing any further obstruction OF streams
ana as far as possible for removing OBJ
struct1ons already existing. For this pur-
pose 1t might prove expedient not to all
low the construction Of bridges. leyees.
revetments, docks or any other structure
In or along the channel Of a stream with
out the consent Of a board Of govern
ment engineers.
The vast areas required, and the enor-
NOUS cost Of constructing storage reser-
voirs of sufficient capacity to prevent or
materially mitigate floods has SO far
made such plan appear impracticable.
although 1t may prove feasible under Ger.
tain favorable physical conditions to uti-
lie this method.
Reforestation, especially along the up-
per reaches Of streams, has not fnfre-
qpentiy been urged as a means Of flood
prevention. 1t must, however, be said
that SO far as reliance can be placed upon
data already secured the amount of bene-
MT from this source is exceedingly limited
The theory that floods were less extern
the period when the country was almost
entirely covered with forest rests yery
largely on unreliable data. Scientific in
vestigation fails to substantiate these con
tentions. 1t Is perhaps true that the
adoption of a system OF farming which
would retain the rainfall on areas not in
actual cultivation might to a limited ex-
tent reduce Hoods In general a plan
which retains the run-off in the upper
reaches of the streams and accelerates
the movements of the water in the lower
reaches. especially when adequate chan
nels can be provided, are the two essen
prehensive system for preventing de-
structive floods.
An examination of the situa ton In Ohio
leads to the following conclusions:
The flood was unprecedented because OF
the very widespread and unusual rainfall
In It's destructive results 1t was in some
localities as serious and unexpected as a
cyclone or earthquake.
None OF the methods which have beer
most earnestly advocated would have beer
sufficient for its prevention. Neither for
estation nor the construction of reser-
voirs would have prevented the loss OF
life and damage to property which &C.
CURED. Probably neither Of these meth.
DDS would have appreciably diminished
the disastrous effects. There is wide
difference Of opinion in the state concern
ing the desirability Of reservoirs. Some
already in existence. Others favor their
retention and the construction OF still
new ones. To these subjects careful at
tention should be given, though 1t is prob.
| able that neither the growing Of forest:
nor the building of reservoirs will AFFORD
any practicable solution.
/ Distractions to Streams.
In localities where the disaster wa.
most severe the calamity was undoubted.
| ly aggravated by local conditions. Mos
noticeable of these were the types Of
bridges in use and the resultant en-
croachments upon channels. The rfvel
channels were narrowed by bridges with
stone abutments at the ends and by tho
location Of piers in the middle Of the