The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1921-02-17

the water and prevent further erosion
through the penitentiary hill.
In the meantime various drainage
projects had been entered upon under
the state laws in the counties north OF
Minnehaha county, and an area Oh
more than 100, 900 acres of land had
been ditchcd so as to accelerate the
| flow Of the water during the times
of freshets and high waters into the
| Big Sioux river. The result Of this
was to dump the surplus waters Of
the lands in the northern counties
upon the fiat north Of Sioux Falls and
to make the situation therefore worse
than it had ever before been. During
the past four crop seasons upwards
Of 10000 acres OF land in Minnehaha
county north of Sioux Fails has been
under water and practically no crops
have been raised upon this vast tract.
The board Of county commissioners
proceeded TO construct the spillway,
dams and retaining gates. Bids were
advertised for, but were rejected as
being too high, and the county com
missioncrs finally made a contract
with the Sioux Falls Constr Iction com
pany to do the work on Il cost plus
plan. II was estimated that the en-
tire cost of the spillway, dams, bitches
and other work would 0 be in excess
of from $4,000 TO $4,000, but the
work has cost vastly more than had
been anticipated, and various changes
in the original plans were found neces-
sary as the work progressed. Upon
the completion Of the spillway, it was
found that the total cost was in excess
Of $3.50, 900.
Warrants were issued by the county
commissioners during the progress of
the work and were purchased by the
various banks Of the county. The
amount due from the warrants with in
terest is now considerably in excess
of $500, 900.
The spillway, dams and retaining
gates have proved inadequate to re-
lieve the situation in the fiat north of
the city, and the food conditions in
the territory are worse than they were
before the drainage ditch was origi-
nally constructed. More land than
ever before is annually inundated, and
the entire river valley has been rem
dered practically useless for agricul-
tural purposes. The operation Of the
spillway dams and gateways has been
to retain the water upon the farm
lands rather than to accelerate its
flowage from these lands.
In 1919 an attempt was made by the
board Of county commissioners to levy
an assessment upon the property along
the Big Sioux river to pay the war
rants which had been issued. In ad.
dition to making an assessment upon
the lands in the fiat north Of the city
an attempt was made to extend the
assessment so as to take in the prop.
erty on both sides Of the river. the
entire distance of the course Of the
river through the city of Sioux Falls.
The situation is a somewhat serious
one for all parties concerned. If an
assessment were made il will amount
in some cases to as much as 800 per
acre, which would be coniscatory
The property owners feel that they
should not be called upon to pay the
cost Of the spillway, for the reason
that It Is a positive detriment to them
rather than a benefit.
The court recently refused an injunc.
ton restraining the county commits
sions from making a survey OF adjoin.
Ing land for the purpose of levying as,
sessments.
Wv. s. S.