462 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



at bottom and thirty to fifty feet at top and five to ten feet deep. Of 

 course botli natural stream beds are nearly double the width named, 

 at sharp curvatures, and double the depth named, at their narrowest 

 banks. 



'"In carting the dirt from the newly surveyed channel of Honey creek 

 and depositing it in the old creek channel for a dam. I made my first 

 failure by making the dam too near the head of the new narrow ditoh. 

 When this narrow ditch washed itself into a channel, fifteen or thirty 

 feet wide, which it did in about two years' time, it washed away the 

 end of the dam next to the new channel. 



"I should remark that the head of the new channel as well as the 

 dam should, if possible, be made on the lowest bottom lands so that a 

 common overflow will pass around in place of over the new dam. 



It is needless to say that the discharge of Honey creek waters being 

 many times the quantity of Mud creek, the straight and narrow ditch 

 was faster cut in Honey creek by the greater flow of water, save that the 

 new channel for Honey creek was not cut on an entirely straight line. It 

 was made somewhat crooked so as to go through the low lands and thereby 

 save labor, and the more, to save cutting deep into the middle of a fine 

 large second bottom cornfield. 



Now the new, deep and comparatively straight channel of Honey 

 creek passes but a mile through two of my farms from the head of its 

 new channel to its point of discharge into Iowa river as compared to over 

 three miles of its old and crooked channel. 



This comparatively inexpensive cutting of new and straight channels 

 has made my long, high and very expensive levee, which was made many 

 years ago, useless, save in times of very high water marks. 



Iowa river borders my land for a distance of two or three miles. Two 

 enterprising and adjoining land-owning farmers are now ready to co- 

 operate witli me in the like making of a channel of Iowa river straight 

 for a distance of five to six miles. 



We most respectfully ask this drainage convention to co-operate with 

 owners of bottom lands in Iowa, that by either State or county aid. we 

 may be enabled to make our crooked and very sluggish streams straight, 

 that such streams may be made so much shorter with so much greater 

 fall, and straight, thus giving them such tremendous velocity that your 

 sudden and mighty rush of waters from your thousand new lines of tile 

 and artificial drainage waters may be quickly sped to the Missouri and 

 Mississippi rivers without damage to villages, towns and cities on Iowa 

 bottom lands and without damage to owners of bottom farm lands in 

 Iowa. 



After some discussion Mr. E. B. Howaid presented the following reso- 

 lution, asking that it might be referred to the executive committee. 



Resolved, by the delegates of the State Drainage Convention, assem- 

 bled at Ames, Iowa. January 16, 1904, that courts and juries at a distance 

 can not understand the situation of the drainage area, or tax levies under 

 dispute like competent engineers who can personally investigate the mat- 

 ters in dispute. Therefore, be it 



