The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-01-14
RELIEF FROM THE FLOOD
Objections Raised BY Various
Parties To Being Put In
Drainage District

Drainage District
Gathered from all parts of the wat
ershed of the Minnesota river, land
owners and those ipterested In the
control of the hood> waters of that
river assembled at the Blue Earth
noon. About 500 persons were at
the hearing on the food control bill.
At the hearing were the following
district judges: Hon. Arthur b.
Childress, Faribault: Hon. G. M. Tiff,
Glencoe; Hon. /. M. Olson, New Ulm;
Hon. S. D Catherwood, Austin; Hon.
Richard T. Daily, Renville; Hon. l..
S. Nelson, Worthington; Hon. S. A.
Flaherty, Morris; hon. E. T.. Lean,
proposed tax levy, of from ten to
twenty five cents per acre on lands
not benefited, but once the conser
vancy district is established the lands
in that district will be subject to fu-
ture assessment.
Fairmont; Hon. John A. Roesser, ST..
Cloud and Hon. w. l.. Comstock of
Mankato. Judge / M. Olson of New
Ulm was given the honor of presid-
of the meeting, Judge Olson announc-
food control bill in. the form of OBJ
jections. to be included in the drain
age districts and things of that sort
uld be heard and considered by the
judges present, but the proposed
blanket assessment of from ten to
twenty five cents per acre on lands
benefited by control of the food wat
ers of the Minnesota would not be
taken into consideration. 1t is mo =
likely that portion of the bill will be
amended by the state legislature.
Judge Olson explained that the pur
pose of the~hearing was to obtain
certain evidence.
At the opening of the meeting
County Attorney r. G. Anderson of
Douglas county filed an objection to
drainage district Judge Olson said
that he would not foreclose the dis
cussion and presenting Of this mat
ter at an adjoining hearing, and also
stated that amendments to the bill
could be considered later on at an
other meeting
Willard On The Stand.
A. V. Willard, state drainage engi
neer, was sworn and questioned by
A. B. Kaercher of Ortonville as to
the probable effected of the propos-
ed improvements on the Minnesota
river above the mouth of the Blue
Earth. Mr.. Willard stated that there
are 1,400 miles of drainage bitches
in the water shed of the Minnesota
river, which eventually discharge
their waters through the Minnesota.
Asked if all of the tributaries of the
Minnesota should be included in the
drainage district, Mr.. Willard said
that he was not prepared to answer
the question. At this early stage OF
the proceedings it would not be de-
sirable to include all Of the water
shed until all of the projects have
been threshed out. He stated that
under the present plans no improve
ments on the Blue Earth river had
been contemplated, and consequent
ly no improvements on the Walton
wan ..a
Senator F. E. Putnam of Blue
Earth asked Mr.. Willard if impound-
ing dams on the Blue Earth river
had been contemplated in the engi-
neer's report on the improvement OF
the Minnesota river. Mr.. Willard
answered that no conservancy dis
tricts had been planned for on the
Blue Earth river. Mr.. Willard said
that the law proposed. impounding
dams on the Minnesota at the foot
of Bigstone Lake, Lac qui Parle and
the north OF the Cottonwood river
near New Ulm. It was planned to
control the upper waters of the Min
nesota and thus afford an opportuni-
ty for the Minnesota to be able to
take care of the food waters of the
Blue Earth. Mr. Willard said that
the law proposes the Improvement
in the way of Strengthening the chan
mel of the Minnesota below Mankato
Mr.. Willard thought that land below
Mankato would be benefited by the
of the flood waters near
the head of the Minnesota river. The
lower end Of the Blue Earth valley
river would be benefited to the food
control.
Meyer Called to Stand.
s. M. Meyer, civil engineer of
was called to the stand
to testify as to the overflow of the
and Cottonwood rivers. He
stated that the reoccuring floods had
done considerable damage. While
the flood are no higher than in years
gone by, they are more frequent.
which he attributes to the increased
Of bitches opened into the
rivers. .-,'
Grant, Douglas and kand1yOhl
filed stipulations asking to
the excluded from the drainage dis
tricts, on the, grounds that those
would get no direct benefit
from the control of the food waters
of the Minnesota river The stipula
tons were placed on file, and will be
considered later on. Freedom coun,
tvs stipulation asking for the sam
thing was also placed on the couI;