Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-03-08

Pronoucng as entirely feasible the
proposed plan for the establishing OF
/ a drainage district in the Iowa river
! valley from the Hardin county line to
/ this city, to be drained thru the
/ Strengthened channel Of the river, F. B.
( Ingersoll, an engineer of this city en-
/ ployed by the supervisors, has filed MS
report with the board. Ii includes a
! detailed statement OF the engineering
! features of the project drainage area
acreage benefited, estimate OF cost
estimate OF assessments for beneTts
and a map of the area, the river chan-
mel and proposed new channel.
/ The board considered the report
/ Thursday, but the district having been
petitioned for and a bond having been
fled guaranteeing the cost of engi-
neer's preliminary report, the board has
no option but 10 proceed. 1t viii 90 SO
by appointing commission of APP
praisers TO fix the amount OF the dam
ages and benefits TO the lalno anected.
Later hearing will be held before
the board when objections may be filed
TO the proposed district and claims
made for damages. If, as a result OF
this hearing, the board should deter
nine that the damages exceed the
benefits, it has authority to kill the
project.
Project Of Large Size.
That the proposed drainage project IS
Of large size is shown by the follow
~ the 1ngl-
neers report 4 new channel must
be dug TO carry off the surface water
from a drainage area OF 1850 square
miles. The area benefited is placed
at 1900 acres The channel OF the
river would be shortened from 2o.S3
miles to AS miles. and the bottom
width of the new channel would be
forty feet from the Hardin county line
to a point near the Marietta river
bridge and fifty feet wide from the
Marietta bridge to the water works dam.
The down stream end of the district.The
vardage of earth to be removed for
the new channel, which is to have an
average depth Of twelve feet !s L.
.49. 200 cubic yards. The total cost is
placed at s126,72o. and the maximum
estimated cost per acre is fixed al slo.
Feasible With Land Tiled.
The object of the district is 10 re
claim low land in the river valley
which is not tillable. or only tillable at
times. because of being overlooked by
high water.
This can be accomplished" the re-
port says, "by Strengthening the chan
mel. thereby removing distractions
shortening distance and increasing the
grade However, large part OF tho
land within the district so relieved
from food water Viii not be available
for cultivation until it is tiled. The
proposed new channel will only carry
off the surface water quickly, and FUR
nish an outlet for tile drainage sys-
tens. I emphasize this point since i
is possible that some of the property
owners within the district may be OF
the impression that the proposed flood
relief project when completed, will
wholly reclaim the land
Eliminates Sharp Bends.
The map, showing the proposed new
channel, which was prepared from the
survey made by the engineer last win
ter shows the river channel would
eliminate all the sharp curves ana
bends in the old channel by following
the river channel where it was straight
and cutting thru bends and curves
along the shortest line in the general
direction to be followed.
This accomplishes the shortening OF
the channel sos miles or nearly 80 per
cent and increases the average fall pei
mi lie from 1.e5 feet per mile in the ole
4 channel 10 2.32 feet per mile in the
new. Shortening the mileage. increasing
the grade and eliminating curves would
give the new channel much larger
capacity to carry off flood water thar
the old channel has.
AS to Drainage Capacity
The drainage area into the lowe
river north Of Marshall county thu