New Britain herald., 1927-04-29
CIVILIZATION IS
 CAUSE OF FLOODS
Removal of Trees One Con.
 tributin6 Factor

Washington, April 29 Pl-Man's modern devices. conrrived to give him greater comforts, have turned npon him to cause the suffering and destruction of the Mississippi floods, In the opinion Of the National Geo. graphic society.
 When De Soto knew the father or l.aters," wide spreading forests of oak, pine and spruce caught large share Of the rainfall and fed tt slowly into the Mississippi's tribu- raries, but when they were replaced ,gith homes and their modern drain age systems, the menace Of disaster vas raised because of the rivers In creased volume.
 Every tree cut, every roof built. every street paved, every drainage ditch dug, every culVert constructed iii the vast area drained by the Mis- sissippi river system,' the society eaid today. has done its bi. toward pouring rainfall more quickly into he great river
 50 States Contribute
 The society pointed out that 90 states contribute 10 the waters Of the Mississippi and 1t drains million and a quarter of the more than B. p60, ,OOO square miles of the United states
 In earlier days flood stages actu- ally were lower not only because fewer people lived in the territory and because there were more eX- tensive forests, but also because IT, rs2ularities in the lie Of the land formed puddles that later eyaporat- d, or sent out rills that slowed up he run-off, the society said.
 Tn late years," 1t was added. "a constantly increasing population has been busy changing these conditions. Not only has man helped to put more water into the Mississippi, his works have helped 10 conffne it there. When De Soto and his followers first knew the Mississippi 1t spread out at each flood season over a wide area. Sometimes in it's lower reaches it vas 20. 30 and even 4o miles wide. 1t vas truly the father of waters.
 Back to 1717
 The fact that the flood waters spilled away at numerous places in- 10 swamps and lowlands kept the flood crest down in the lower river. Tn TIT three foot levees protected New Orleans. Now they rise 2o feet or more above the city. More ex- tensive development has made this levee system necessary. Now some 29,0oO square miles are dependent on the levees for protection.
 "On the whole a considerable quantity Of water finds its way from the lower Mississippi through levees breaks and bayous. The most im- portant natural safety valve is the Atchafalaya river or bayou which flows away from the Mississippi at ,he mouth of the Red river. and finds it's way directly to the Gulf of Mexico some 50 miles west of New Orleans.
 Tn flood times this out-fowins stream takes from the swollen rather of waters as much as 35o,- 600 cubic feet Of water each second an amount equal to more than half the average flow of the Mississippi. II is because of such losses as this. coupled with the much greater depth of the channel in the lower river. that the flood stage can be between 50 and 60 feet at Memphis and Eicksburg. and only a little more than 20 at New Orleans.
 Carries Much Silt
 An important aspect Of the Mis- <ssippi river is the rreat amount Of silt 1t carries. For many thousands of years the river has been trans porting its burden of mud and clay and sand, depositing 1t to build up new land.
 "The noticeable extension Of Louis- iana into the Gulf cannot however. 20 on indefinitely. About II miles out from the present edge there Is 2 sudden drop to deep water In which the ocean currents are strong. When the father of waters has built to this line his burden of silt will probably be whisked away to pc scattered Intellectually owe, broad areas of the ocean floor"