May 27 , I90L THE FALLS CITY TRIBUNE
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' Grinstead Discusses
r " . Drainage Question
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Salem , Neb. , May 25 , 1904.
, On lay 19th , near 'Vabash ,
c , , ,
( f ! ; , " Indiana , work has begun on a
drainage channel 28 miles in
. .
length , fcl10wing the main chan-
nel of Grass creek to its confluence
tl
with 'rippecanoe river. The
greatest width of this ditch is 75
feet and the least width of the
same is 18 feet.
It runs through \Vhite and Pu-
laska counties. It is for the pur-
pose of reclaiming 356,000 of
hitherto worthless swamp lands.
It win cost S95,000 , being about
S2)7 cents per acre or 7 cents per
o r cubic yard.
.
In Lynn county , Kansas , the
: Manes De Cygne river , somewhat
I larger than the Nemaha , and
, very much like it in topographical -
cal appearance , has been straightened -
ened l. by which the bottom lands
are not overflown , their value 'be-
a.
t ing advanced thereby from $25 to
$75 per acre.
In Salem township Richardson
county , Neb. , following the sinu-
osities of the south fork and the
Nemaha river below the junction
at Salem , the distance is , by U.
S. S < l'vey , 200 miles.
. , " On a straight line from points
of ingress i to egress the distance
i , , is less than 6/ miles ; anl the
. , .
/ \ fan is not less than 60 feet
; ' through the township.
In the present condition of the
. stream , the velocity of the water
does not exceed one mile per hour
up to the time when the river
breaks the banks. After that
time , when the bottoms are cov-
ered the water in the main channel -
, net practically ceases to run ; and
the velocity of the water is very
much retarded , being very much
less than before the banks were
broken ; tInts producing a conges-
J tion of water , often lasting for
.
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i
several days.
If the river were straightened ,
. . , . . 'f making the distance through the
township 7/ miles , then the velocity -
locity of the water at flood time
would be about S miles per hour.
'l"he same would be within the
.
banks of the river at all times af-
ter the new channel shall have
. attained its growth by the opera-
tion of natural forces , which will
go on to completion very rapidly.
The above mentioned shorten-
ing of distance can be made by
not to exceed 4- miles of new
channel.
" ' ' . .
"i'.t.
'r"--r- , The probable approximate cost
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'
of this improvement 1S , 1n my
opinion , as follows : to wit : 24
feet wide at the top , 9 feet wide
at bottom , average depth 10 feet ;
at 7 cents per cubic yard will
' 1 make $9,000 for the entire aggre-
s I : gate length of four miles of new
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channel.
There are ,200 acres 01 over-
flowed lands tributary to Salem ,
and to be known as Salem drain-
age district. This at $2.50 per
acre amounts to $15,000 in round
numbers , or an excess of SOOO ,
our cost of channel , with which
to make two bridges and pay other -
er incidental expenses.
A tax of 25 cents per annum
will pay 6 per cent interest on
thiF amiloumit fur 15 years , 8
months and 29 days , and provide
a sufficient sinking fund with
which to liquidate the principle.
If Falls City township will cooperate -
operate with Salem township and
receive and take care of the ditch
at or near corner or' sections 12
and 13 , township line , then the
new channel in the aggregate
need not , in my opinion , be more
than 2/ miles in length , and
would leave the entire length of
the stream a little less than Smiles
miles through the township.
There should be made , 011 the
North Fork , in Liberty township
and in the drainage district , a
new channel in the aggregate of
about % miles.
Falls City township can , in my
opinion , with a ditch 4/ miles in
aggregate length , reduce length
of river through township from
12/ to 6/ miles , having only
one bridge to make via Exchange
mills and : Mo. Pacific bridge cost-
ing in all not to exceed $15,000
being about $3 per acre , all told ;
not to exceed an annual tax of
30 cents per acre , for a period of
about 15 years ; placing flood
waters forever in the banks of the
stream , lowering water line at'
least 6 feet.
The : Mo. Pacific bridge. as it
now is , with this improvement ,
has sufficient capacity , in my
opinion for any flood waters that
may come.
Jefferson township is five miles
wide , east and west. The length
of river through township is 13y8 ;
miles wide , by meanders. This
distance can , with 2/ miles of
new channel , be reduced to 6j"
mile thus eliminating 7/ miles
of the old channel , lowering water
line not less than 8 feet ; at a cost
not to exceed $7,000 , all told , including -
cluding one bridge and leaving
both Burlington bridges as they
are pow with sufficient capacity
to carry off ' all flood waters. The
same would not cost , in my opin-
ion , 20 cents per acre per annum
for a period of 15 years.
Rule township can have the
best results , of all the townships
of the county with the least expenditure -
penditure of money.
On a direct line from the west
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THE WORLDS
ir17rI ! ROUTE
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i AND
;
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Past Trains Elegant Service
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J. B. V ARNERAGENT -
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to the east , it is less than 476
miles to the mouth of Nemaha
and 45 feet of fall.
1376 miles of river following
sinuosities of same , can be reduced -
ed to 616 miles , with new channel
not to exceed in the aggregate 1
mile in length. No new bridges
to build. The total cost should
not exceed $1 per acre. 10 cents
per acre per annum in 15 years
should be the total cost. The
flood line would be lowered at
least 8 feet ; thus eliminating any
overflow excepting what ; ; nay
come from very high waters in
the : Missouri river when possibly
the back water might extend fun
a very short distance up the Ne-
maha river ; and then not oftener
than once in a great many years.
In conclusion , to the owners of
these overflowed lands , by these
improvements , will come thrift
and prosperity. 1'0 every citizen
of the county will come the bles-
sings of au entire community of
prosperous citizenship ; costing no
one a penn except the owners of
overflowed lands.
It will give o all the only pos-
sibility of having good roads. It
will add to the assessors rolls
$2,000,000 in value of real estate
which unless relieved , will con-
tinue to depreciate in value. It
will decrease to all the tax pay-
ers of the county at least 50"per
cent for repairs on bridges ,
It win incidentally add to the
productive area of fine alluvial
soils 1200 acres by shortening the
stream. It will make up to the
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' \01 .
doctors who never grumble , in
good roads over which they travel -
el , for his loss in the destruction
of the mosquito and the atten-
dant miasmatic diseases.
Yours truly ,
R. Grinstead. .
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