P.D. 123. 23 



The experience of the Board during 1921 and 1922 with the drainage law 

 as embodied in Chapter 252 of the General Laws and its amendments demon- 

 strated that somewhat sweeping changes were necessary in order to make it 

 workable. With the assistance of various State legal authorities the law 

 was thoroughly revised. This revision was passed by the Legislature as 

 Chapter 457 of the Acts of 1923 in the form of an amendment to Chapter 

 252 of the General Laws. The principal changes made were : The form of 

 the district changed from a business to a municipal corporation; four methods 

 of financing provided instead of one; the limits of the district and the pro- 

 portion of the cost each member must pay is determined before construction 

 as authorized instead of after it is finished; the assessment roll is prepared 

 by the District Commissioners instead of the Town Assessors; and the name 

 changed from Drainage to State Reclamation Board. The new law is working 

 well except for a few clauses which should be clarified. 



The revisions in the law have involved reorganizing several districts and 

 the preparation of new standard forms for petitions, district by-laws and 

 procedure. 



It has been the policy of the Board, based upon its interpretation of the 

 spirit of the law, to act as a bureau of information and as a clearing house 

 to aid local communities in solving their wet land problems. Communities 

 are encouraged to utilize their local town or private engineers and contractors 

 and in some cases are shown how to do the work themselves. 



Five new petitions have been presented to the Board this year and others 

 are in the course of preparation. In one case the land owners Avere shown 

 how to accomplish the desired end without involving the formation of a 

 district. The status of the projects now before the Board follow. 



Salisbury Drainage District (Salisbury). 



It was decided to continue this project under the old law. Application was 

 made to the Essex County Commissioners to finance it, but the application was 

 refused. An appeal was made and a new hearing, at which the Board was 

 represented, was held in September. The decision has not yet been announced. 



Green Harbor Drainage District (Marshfield). 



Action will be taken to dissolve the present drainage district as a new 

 petition has been presented to the Board to form a reclamation district under the 

 new law. Conditions have radically changed on the project during the year 

 due to the extensive building of summer cottages in the marsh along the Ocean 

 Bluffs road, thus creating an additional demand for the drainage of the marsh. 

 The legal status of the entire situation has been studied. It is expected that 

 a solution of the various problems involved will be found this winter. 



Weweantic River Drainage District (Carver). 



Owing to shortage of labor the only Avork by this district this year has been 

 the installation of a 4 ft. corrugated pipe through the road at Holmes Mill 

 to supplement the insufficient water passages at this point, and some clearing 

 of the channel above. One other obstruction, the Old England Bridge near 

 Tremont, is being torn down and replaced by a neAV concrete bridge under the 

 direction of the Department of Public Works. The work previously done by the 

 district continues to operate successfully. 



North Marblehead Reclamation Project (Marblehead). 



The Board accepted a petition under the new law and appointed com- 

 missioners. The Town of Marblehead at its annual March meeting voted the 

 sum of $2,600 for constructing the key portions of the plan and the selectmen 

 and district commissioners have agreed to work together in carrying out the 

 project, using the plan of development laid out by the Board, , 



