The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1927-12-15

| ptoWed. SO strongly does TINS ap-
pear in every report on a drainage
unit including considerable quaint
ties os farm lands, that the fact of
excessive sell erosion from farms
becomes the most outstanding fea-
ture brought out as result of
this study"
Mismanagement of farm soils
and farm woodlands owing to lack
of technical knowledge or advice
was evident in all the preliminary
reports of the survey. In addition
to unwise clearing, the most pre-
vailing faults were found to be
over-grazing, lack of adequate
! fire control, and the toler9tion f
idle or waste lands, 10000 square
miles of which were found in farm
ownership in the Mississippi basin.
"Badlands" Present Special
Problem
The "Badlands" of North and
South Dakota, Wyoming and Mon
tana live well up to their name in
their contribution to the flood bur-
den of the Mississippi system, the
Forest Service found. These tree
less areas, aggregating about 49,
500 square miles, were given spec
ial study apart from the investiga-
ton of the six major drainages.
Unquestionably from these areas
comes a considerable part of the
silt which gives the Missouri river
the name of "Big Muddy" It is
calculated that more than LA mil
lion tons of soil is washed from
the Badlands annually-some 26
per cent of the total sediment car
ried by the Missouri coming from
less than three per cent Of the
watershed.
The problem of establishing a
vegetative cover on these bare
slopes, where extreme drought con-
ditions prevail over long periods.
and soil disintegrates rapidly and
washes away, promises to be ex-
tremely difficult. A somewhat
similar erosion problem is pre-
scented by "The Breaks" of the
southwest-the region which marks
the boundary between the "Staked
Plains" of the Texas panhandle
and the lower rolling Red Prairie
country to the east. Soil erosion
is extremely active through the
Breaks region due to a combina-
ton of steep slopes, scanty vege-
tation, and sudden heavy rains.
Specific Recommendations Made
Eight specific recommendations
based on the conclusions of the
Forest Service fact-finding study
are made in the report. The &C.
ton recommended, says Associate
Forester Sherman, would not take
the place of levees, reservoirs
by-passes or spillways as food pre-.
ventive measures, and is not in
any way intended to minimize the
necessity of such works. but is sup.
Elemental to them. These recon-
mendations are:
/. Extension of cooperative fire
prevention under Section 2 of the
Clarke-McNary law. It is recon-
mended that the blanket or organ.
lied protection be extended to al
forests on the Mississippi water.
shed as rapidly as the States anc
private owners are willing to un.
derrake their share of the work
Ultimate cost per annum for the
entire watershed about $490, 900
2. Idle waste land on farm!
and sub-marginal land used agri
culturally should be planted t.
forests under the cooperative pro
visions of Section a Of the Clarke
McNary law. Activity should ene
in Is years with total expenii
Iture not exceeding $2,500,000.
! 8. instruction TO owners o:
1850 square miles Of fores
land in farm ownership should
keen pace with planting and neel