Pueblo chieftain., 1921-09-21
THE FLOOD PROBLEM

only solution Of the problem Ia TO pro-
tect these otties by adequate engineer
ing works for food prevention.
II seems clear that forest corse-ya
tiorists have contributed = great deal
TO the popular rnlsuncorstanding. Their
sincerity IS not TO be Challenged.
neither is the importance OF con.erv-
Ing the forests re have and OF plant
ing others to be questioned But the
condition OF the forests does not have
the decisive effect on hoots which the
public has been led to believe. This
seems 70 .. established by all IN.
scientific studies that have been
made OF the matter
Fsiri complete food records for the
Mississippi river az ST. Louis have
been studied from 1850 TO 1910. with
some earlier records During all that
period the whole Mississippi basin was
being detoTestec- ~ the greatest
foods occurred in iss and iTs5. and
diagram shows that great foods have
occurred a. regular Intervals since
the beginning Of the observations. with
no general Increase or decrease in
either size or frequency. The same
thing has bccn found true for tho
! Ohio. Missouri and Connecticut riv-
.rS- A study of floods on the Mcrrifnac
river has shown that oeforcstation Of
e per cent had no effect on them.
Studies OF foods on n, Seine and tn.
I
periods oorroboratc these conclusions.
THE REAL CAUSE or FLOODS
The real cause OF our flood d.,ast.rs
Il that civilization mas drawn the
cities and homes down into the path
OF the foods. and that 40 have not
given them protection. Railroads have
followed the bottoms of valleys be-
cause tho easiest grade is there. and
tho cities have been built down by the
railroads instead Of up on tho hill..
whore more primitive men generally
built their homes and cities
our valley cities arc sure TO be de-
stroyed at regular Intervals uutii ali
ot them have bern properly protected
against floods This ir the fact which
must be driven home Floods are one
form OF history which may be conf
IDENTIFY relied upon 70 prove e. Any
dwoller in an unprotected city or torsn
In one Of our Ersat valleys can study
a chart Of the foods that nave &C
CURED In the past and predict with
accuracy whr1 ho will next need a
row boat nr a life preserver A. least.
he may predict how often he will need
N In given period of YEAR, Scientists
have even made formulas for predict
Ing floods. IL may hc calculated that
floods of tho greatest size on a given
river VIII occur. over a. considerable
stretch of time. once In every - years
on an average. Thosc Of the rett mag
nitude will occur half a. often on an
average. and 20 m down. In tho dia-
grams which have been prepared % IL
remarkable row regularly the high
water marks occur
There is no space in this article for
an adequate discussion Of the meth
ods Of food prevention. There are two
chief meihods-dikcs or leyees and re-
tanning basins. We have ono Of tho
greatest examples o, the former in
the iettiez Of tho lover Mississippi
TheEe have shown tic limitations of
such vorkt They afford locai protec-
ton. but often serve TO hack the
waters up in other places. causing
foods where otherwise there would he
none.
An excellent example OF retaining
basins is seen in tnos. on the head of
the Mississipri river. which were
built primarily az aids 10 NAVIGATION
but have had = most important use In
preventing 1oods. There arc no re-
tanning basins in this country built
primarily for flood control. hut mum
arous basins created for irrigation pur-
poses. or to produce water power. have
shown tho great possibilities Of this
method Of control. In Europe retaining
basins have been used for flood control
FOR long tir1a
The best engineering opinion seems
needs IL greet unified system of
food control. especially for the Missia-
slrpi drainage. Most persona do not