The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1922-06-07
OPEN CONGRESS
ON IRRIGATION
IN CITY TODAY
Delegates From Three States
Will Participate in Dis
cusSiOnS Here
HEAR FROM THE SOUTH
Letter to Congress Says North
Dakota Dirt is Farmed Each
Year in Louisiana

North Dakota opened this Afternoon
at l:3o o'clock in the state capito
with representatives present from
North and South Dakota and Mon
talla. The meeting vii continue to-
morrow,
The purpose of the Congress, which
is to consider methods of proposed ir-
rigation Of comparatively small tracts
of land in western North Dakota and
similar tracts if available in South Da
kota and Montana and to induce con-
gress to make surveys and investi.
cations to determine the feasibility
of such projects, was stated by E. A.
Williams, of Bismarck, president OF
the state r'gation association.
Representatives of the North Dakota
state engineers office, the state flood
engineer, representative Of the Mon
tana irrigation department and repre-
sentatives from South Dakota were
expected to detail work done in the
past in the three states to encourage
reclamation of land or to provide ir-
rigation for the semi-arid districts.
Expect 35U Here
E. c. Leedy and F. Benz, immigra-
tion agents of the Great Northern and
Northern Pacific railroads, respect
lively, were among the speakers on the
program. A large delegation of busi-
ness men from various cities and
towns in western North Dakota We're
here. The total attendance was ex-
pacted to reach $50.
3, No set program had been fixed for
the convention. Much of the work
will be done by committees.
That the farmers of the lower Mis-
sissippi are probably farming North
Dakota land is the statement Of E. G,
Collins OF Memphis in a letter read
here today before the Fourth North
Dakota Irrigation congress. The let
ter went into the details of the at
tempts of flood control of the lower
Mississippi.
1T has been established by geolo
gists that the gulf of Mexico once
had an inland arm reaching up into
the United States to point where
the Ohio now empties into the Miss
issippi," said Mr.. Collins in his letter
This arm ranged in width from
about a mile to fifty or sixty miles
Through many centuries of time Il
was filled in by the Mississippi rivers
deposits-land skinned from some
thirty. states of the great valley. Un
doubtedly some of North Dakota dir
is being farmed in this region today
The process of films N still is goint
on below New Orleans where 1t Is es
timnted a mile of new land is created
every 16 or 20 years.
"This made land has an area o
approximately : 20,0oo,o00 acres, o.
about the combined area Of New Jer
sey Delaware, Maryland, Connection
and Massachusetts. 1t is bigger thar
Holland, Denmarck and Belgium
combined-twice as big as the Meth
erlands."
Mr.. Collins indicated that he Nigh
give some of the data concerning crol
yield on this land brought down iron
the upper reaches of the. river, bu
for the fact that y&.le might be consid
cred a sDfxie Nars L Il tss
= Describes r,at Iandsf
Following HIS description OF tn
flat lands of the made lands OF tn
lower Mississippi, Mr.. Collins went o.
to describe the levees which hav
been erected to guard this Ian
against the water that still Is rusf
ing down toward the sea by this ag
old highway.
"On the West bank of the Missis:
ippi," continues Mr.. Collins. "the le
wees have total length of 9S5 miles
ION the East bank, the levees tota
535 miles.
"Those on the West bank star
near Commerce, Mo-, above and eros
from the mouth of the Ohio rive
This line runs south SO miles windin
with the river, to just above Helen;
Ark.
"There is gap below Helen
where the St. Francis flows into III
mississippi. From this point an
other stretch of the embankmen'
extends "A miles southwark to Arka1
sas City. Ark. where the combine
Arkansas and White rivers empty I'M
the mississippi. Levees here nav
] been built back up the Arkansas !, Il
mite q distance to take care OF u
f hack waters when the Mississippi
high. o ~, ,,o
} there is another continuous line
: levees totalling 341 miles to the mou,
: Of the Red River in Louisiana.
: this region there are short levee sy
5 TENS along the Red River ana an
! tho Atchafalaya river. chiefly to tal
D care of back waters. The Atchafalay
however, does not empty into u
Mississippi, but is a problem III
self. 49, 10,
/, "Below the Red RIVER and the "a!
a M l.aFourche, which is the Atcn
e falaya basin. there is a total OF lz'
). miles of levees. From LaFourche
G the gulf is the remaining portion
Continued on Page -