78 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



REPORT OF DRAINAGE COMMISSION. 

 i 



BY GEORGE A. RALPH. 



Mr. George A. Ralph, Chief Engineer of the State 

 Drainage Commission of Minnesota, has furnished his 

 annual report to Governor Van Sant, which shows that 

 129,860 acres of State lands and 241,860 acres of other 

 lands have been benefited by the drainage ditches con- 

 structed in the State since 1893. The total acreage 

 benefited by the State ditch is 370,860 acres. The 

 State has expended $100,000 since the work started. 

 Below is given part of Engineer Ralph's report, which 

 will prove interesting to those of other sections who 

 are studying the subject of drainage. 



The report says : 



"All of the ditches constructed by the Commission 

 are in good condition, and no expense is necessary at 

 this time for repairs ; in fact many /of the ditches have 

 been enlarged to 'double their size. This enlargement 

 is largely due to the fact that much care has been ex- 

 ercised in getting the proper outlets. 



"The benefits resulting from the construction of 

 these ditches have been much greater ,than the original 

 estimates show. Lost River ditch in Polk and Bcl- 

 trami Counties, 3.7 miles long, has transformed an im- 

 . passible bog of several thousand acres into rich meadow 

 and tillable land. Badger and Skunk Creeks in Roseau 

 County, 8.5 miles long, will afford an outlet for a 

 drainage system covering upward of fifty square, miles, 

 and has made salable thousands of a.cres of land at 

 prices averaging $8 an acre, which prior to the con- 

 struction of the ditches, had no market value. 



BIG PROFIT FOR STATE. 



"New Solum ditch in Marshall County, nine miles 

 long, has also been a very profitable investment for 

 the S'tate. Every acre of State lands affected by the 

 construction of this ditch has been sold since the work 

 was begun at prices ranging from $8 to $16 an acre. 

 These lands were not wanted at any price before the 

 ditch was begun. 



ditch in Roseau County had to be made from an offset 

 line, owing to the numerous small lakes and dangerous 

 sinkholes along the line of the ditch. 



"The engineering expense covering a period of 

 four years has amounted to less than nine per cent of 

 the whole expenditure. The engineering expense in ex- 

 amining and locating the ditches has been less than 

 ten per cent of the total expenditure. In every instance 

 the price paid for State work has been as low, or lower, 

 than was being paid for similar work in the same lo- 

 cality by county and local authorities." 



STATE DRAINAGE NEEDED. 



The report of the engineer showing the rapid 

 strides of the work is seconded by the report State 

 Auditor Iverson will make to the next legislature. He 

 says on the question of drainage : 



"It will be readily seen that the management of 

 our swamp lands is one of the serious problems con- 

 fronting us. A start should be made looking to a com- 

 prehensive system of drainage of these lands. It will 

 cost considerable but it is safe to reckon that every 

 dollar spent in drainage will be returned tenfold. Not 

 alone will it be profitable; it will be doing a justice to 

 those sturdy, hard working settlers who are endeav- 

 oring to establish homes in the northern frontier town- 

 ships. The work should be started. Chapter 90, Gen- 

 eral Laws 1901, creates a drainage commission and 

 clothes it with ample authority. An appropriation 

 should be made sufficient to make a general survey of 

 the country affected and to begin the work of reclaim- 

 ing the lands." 



THE STATE DITCHES. 



A table attached to the report shows the work ac- 

 complished by the commission in the construction of 

 ditches. Counting the extension of all ditches in the 

 State, there are at present twenty-four ditches, with a 

 total length of 88.78 miles. A summary of the table 

 follows : 



Benefit to 



State and 



ether lands. 



"Gun Lake ditch in Aitkin County, nine miles Name of Ditch Cost. Acres. 



long, has made salable 5,000 acres of State lands at an Two Rivers, Roseau County $5,493.37 31,200 



average price of $8 per acre. Two Rivers, Kittson 5,837.10 35,000 



"Besides the direct benefits to the State and other New S'olum, Marshall 5,795.77. 25,000 



lands, which in most cases is more than double the cost New Solum, Ex. 2,445.87 15,600 



of the ditch, the benefits in an indirect way, such as New Solum. 2d Ex, 2,269.10 7,400 



making possible the construction of public roads, fur- Grand- Marais, Polk County 1,867.14 5,000 



nishing outlets for other ditches, admitting the con- Grand Marais 3,746.50 10,000 



venient location of public schools and churches, assist- Emardsville, Red Lake 3,232.65 16,000 



ing in the immediate development of an otherwise Good Hope, Norman : . . . 5,287.77 10,000 



backward locality, and general benefit to the county and Good Hope, Ex 1,653.36 2,000 



State, are considerations which are important in de- Wild Rice River, Norman 424.15 5,000 



termining the benefits derived from the construction Wild Rice River 770.19 5,000 



of these ditches. Bemidji, Beltrami 2,639.96 8,000 



SURVEYS ARE DIFFICULT. Shotley Brook.* Beltrami 2,212.28 11,200 



"The work of making the surveys for these ditches Lost River, Polk and Beltrami. . . 3,867.24 27,400 



has been generally a difficult task, owing to the fact Morken Ex., Clay 1,992.20 10,000 



that the ditches are usually located in the worst bogs Silver Leaf, BeckeT 878.75 7,400 



and swamps in the State. ' Tamarac. Becker 125.00 2,700 



"Lost River swamp in Polk and Beltrami, counties Yeager Lake. W T adena 5,128.54 33,000 



was always known as an impassable bog before this Metz, Wadena ........ . ., 968.96 7,280 1 



ditch was constructed, and it is doubtful if it had ever Toad River, Otter Tail 1,078.23 6,200 



been crossed by a human being, except when frozen up, Wing River, Otter Tail 3,682.77 8,4 



before the survey for this ditch was made. Gun Lake, Aitkin 5,886.60 25,00 



"The survey of the Memidji and Shotley Brook Badger and Skunk Creek, Roseau 13.261.96- 46,00 

 ditches was made over swamps inundated to a depth of 



from two to three feet. The survey of the Two Rivers Totals ....$81.545.03 370.86 



