French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1919-04-17
Continued from Page Six

@~y hONAN -OOCAA SN--~A1J
themselves and the bottom lands along
the streams. ~(Yarrac.ng should be
gin at the top of the hill, not as the
bottom, or the terrace banks VIII be
broken frequently
WIN whatever improvements are
u~nceECaken. it is urgently recon-
Mended that the nero tributaries
n a BRING down silt and sand be given
proper attention by the local land
owners or the district. It is highly
desirable that this material held in
suspension by these swift flowing
streams be deposited before it reaches
the main channel. This may be- done
by constructing one or more low dams
across n branch stream just above
It's mouth, to check the velocity of
water so that the suspended material
Will be deposited and so that erosion
IN the channel itself will be prevent
ed. In its simplest terms the sys-
tenn consists in making the bottom Of
the branch stream nearly level be-
tween check dams, each of which
stops up" about 3 feet. They may
be QUILT IN a very economical name
by the use Of wood posts and hog
wire. Such dams have been used
with success in California and ought
to be OF value in drainage districts
IN this State. If the reaches above
these dams finally become filled with
sand, 1t may be advantageous to build
more OF these checks, but experience
IN the Piedmont section, to which
this district is comparable, does not
indicate that much work. of this kind
will be necessary.
District Organization
In 1915 a drainage district for the
Improvement of Mud Creek and its
tributaries was organized, a survey
made, and a final report of the board
of viewers filed with the Clerk of
the Superior Court of Henderson
County on March 20, 1916. MI. G..
w. Justice, Hendersonville, N. c., was
the engineer. The district comprised
all the streams discussed in this re
port, but the improvement of Mud
Creek was to stop at Johnson's Bridge
juat below the junction Of Mill Creek
and about 2 miles below Clear Creek.
/ IN all, II 1-2 miles of crooks were
Ito be improved and the r e to be
| benefited was found to be about L.
500 acres. Petition was signed ~
SO landowners for the improvemeuv,
while only 4 opposed it, but legal
difficulties brought up by the opposi-
ton after the fms! report was filed
caused the project to 5e dropped for
the time being. The organization
even went 50 far as to elect 2 hoard
or l"aipage commissioners consisting
Of ". {. Jordan, chairman; JOSEPH
Newman, secretary, and R. (, Stepp.
A superintendent of construction was
elected on May 20, 1916.
The proposed improvements were
to be done by the Heudersonville
township and Henderson county
dredge, which was at that time sta
toned in Mud Greek above the Ed
NEVILLE road for the purpose Of OBJ
tanning sand. The work was to have
consisted in simply widening and
deepening the present water courses
to a depth Of from 3 to 4 feet below
their them existing levels. The esti-
mate called for the excavation of
Some 597,7OO cubic yards of material,
which at 4 cents per cubic yard, to-
gether with the cost of clearing,
engineering and legal expenses and
some maintenance work amounted to
about $4,000.
Further Survey
A maander or the portions Of Mud
Creek and its tributaries, which are
to be included in the proposed dis
trict, should be made and levels taken
throughout. Except at the lower end,
if this is to be taken into the new
district, there will be no necessity Of
measuring the edges of the bottom
land to determine the area, since this
has been already done.
After the route of the ditch has
been decided upon, it should be To-
Gated on the ground. Along the To-
Gated line stakes should be set at
1OO-feet intervals and levels should
be taken at each station to enable
a profile to be made and the amount
of excavation to be determined:
Soundings should be taken about
every 500 feet along the line to de-
termine the location of rock, so that
changes may be made in the located
line to avoid it as much as possible.
A survey would require about one
month time for a party consisting OF
the engineer in charge, n levelman,
one rodman, and two axemen. Much
of the country is open and not much
cutting will be required. Board can
be obtained at H~endersonville or
along the creek, the party driving to
and from the work.
Based on pre-war construction
prices the cost of improving Mud
end it's tributaries would be
very little, if any, higher than other
districts which have been con-
structed in the Piedmont section of
Carolina. While the fall is less
than the average, thus requiring
bitches, the amount of bottom
land per mile along Mud Creek is
than the average on most
Piedmont streams, and reduces the
cost per acre.
Since the project is practical the
question arises Is to whether it would
be better TO wait for a few years
until construction prices became low
or to undertake the work at once.
Experience after all great previous
seems to indicate that prices are
very slow in declining and authorl-
ties seem generally agreed that SIT
is doubtful if reduction will occur
within the near future to any marked !