The Prescott daily news., 1915-04-09
RECLAMATION OF
 CYPRESS CREEK
Extensive Plan Proposed by Govern ment Engineers for the Drainage of This Large Area in Desha
 and ChicOt Counties.

Washington, D. C., April 9.-A con- prehenslve drainage system for the Cypress Creek Drainage District in Desha and Chicot counties, Arkansas IS outlined in a new publication of the United States Department of Agricul- ture, Bulletin 19S. This district is a roughly triangular area bordering on the Mississippi River, about 23 miles broad at its greatest width and about 36 miles north and south. Even in seasons that are no wetter than usual It IS not uncommon for vast accumula- tons of water to make the country inn passable for long periods, and in con- sequence the cultivated areas are at present mostly confined to the high lands along the bayous and do not probably constitute more than 10 per cent of the total area.
 The system outlined in the bulletin for the reclamation of this area would if carried out in it's entirety cost. it lis estimated, $2,207,4 ,493. In return for this, practically 300000 acres would be benefited, making the average cost per acre $7.49. Although the engin- eers who made the survey on which these estimates are based declared that it would be more economical to carry out the entire improvement at once, the construction of , important ditches at an expense of only $1,600,- 900 would in itself accomplish the most important work. The construc- tion of two of these has already been undertaken. With the three others they should make possible the diver sion of Cypress Creek and thus enable the gap now existing in the Mississip- pi levee at the junction of Cypress Creek and the Mississippi levee to be closed. At the present time the eXis- tence of this gap nullifies to some ex- tent the benefits that the district and a considerable area to the south de- rive from the levees along the Miss issippi and Arkansas Rivers, since floods in the Mississippi frequently result in destructive backwater thru this gap. The levees are now expect ed to afford protection against any flood in the main river that there is reason to expect, but the gap at the mouth of Cypress Creek is a serious defect in the system. It cannot, of course, be closed until some other out let has been found for Cypress Creek.
 Apart from the overflow from the Mississippi, large areas are frequent ly flooded by moderate rains since the existing outlets are not sufficient to carry off the water. The land imme- diately adjoining the numerous bay ous found in the interior is usually higher than that at a short distance back of the streams. These high banks serve as barriers to retain the water for long periods. The drain age problem, therefore, is two-fold. l lie gap III Iflt ltNtSS iIiuoC bS IioSSNi, and to do this the water which now flows through it must be provided with some other outlet; secondly, out lets must be found for the remainder of the water now brought into the dis trict from approximately 65S square miles tributary to it.
 In the plan by which it is proposed to accomplish these results, drainage is provided for approximately 46O square miles-the area which it is said would be directly benefited. This area would include practically all of that part of Desha County lying south of the Arkansas River, certain DOT tions of Chicot County, and about s. 900 acres in Drew County. The loca- tion and the construction of the var ious ditches which it is planned to dig in this territory are described in de- tail in the bulletin already mentioned. Eighty-one of these are planned, vary ing in length from less than l mile to more than 76 miles and in cost from one or two thousand dollars to more than six hundred thousand.