THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER PROBLEM 27 



the engineers themselves comes the statement that the average life of 

 a levee is not over twenty years, which means this and no more : in two- 

 score years, at the most liberal estimate, the present system, completed, 

 will have disappeared entirely and a new series of levees constructed 

 at the cost of another $60,000,000 will have taken its place, with condi- 

 tions then no better than they are now. Considered solely on their 

 own merits from the standpoint of control afforded, the present system 

 has nothing, and the reservoir plan has everything, to recommend it. 



In order to bring the river route to its highest possible degree of 

 efficiency, it would be necessary to combine the reservoir system with a 

 straightened course for the lower river, by which combination every 

 evil would be removed and absolute control for all time would be 

 insured. The reservoirs would make it possible to regulate the flow 

 of the streams, preventing both floods and very low water, and at the 

 same time, through developed horse power, pay for the improvements. 

 The corrected or straightened course would shorten the route and 

 effectively put an end to caving of the banks with all the difficulties 

 arising from it at present. Together the reservoirs, with the necessary 

 forest conservation and corrected course, would remove the sand bar 

 problem — the one greatly lessening the actual amount of sand carried 

 into the river, the other giving the current increased power to sweep 

 its own channel clean. 



It is undeniable that this plan calls for a large expenditure for its 

 completion, but in the long run so does the levee-revetment system, 

 without anything tangible to show for the outlay in the end. The 

 whole question narrows itself down to a single issue: whether it is not 

 better policy to do the right thirjg at the start, even if it require great 

 initial outlay, rather than follow a plan which means the reconstruction 

 of part of the so-called improvements every decade for centuries, with 

 the region concerned always chafing under the handicap of a mediocre, 

 inadequate waterway and -suffering heavy annual losses from uncon- 

 trollable floods. The waste of money on levees and revetments 

 ought to cease once for all. Let the federal government authorize the 

 completion of the entire reservoir system with a straightened course for 

 the lower river, and loose the bonds which every year are drawn tighter 

 over this heart of our nation. 



