22 P.D. 123 



DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, SOIL SURVEY 

 AND FAIRS 



RECLAMATION 



The reclamation work of this division has been conducted as in previous 

 years through the State Reclamation Board of which the director of the 

 division is secretary. The report of the Board follows: 



REPORT OF STATE RECLAMATION BOARD 



The Reclamation Board for 1927 was composed of Mr. Gordon Hutch- 

 ins of Concord, chairman, representing the Department of Health; Mr. 

 Leslie R. Smith of Hadley, executive officer and secretary, representing 

 the Department of Agriculture; and Mr. Richard K. Hale of Brookline 

 from the Department of Public Works. For administrative purposes the 

 Board functions under the Department of Agriculture. 



Recommendations for Legislation 

 No legislature is recommended for the coming session. Should flood 

 protection projects develop under this law it will be advisable to make 

 some minor adjustments in the following session. 



General Work of the Board 

 The statements of the 1926 report so clearly outline the functions of the 

 Board that they are here repeated: "As in previous years the Board has 

 continued the supervision and direction of existing reclamation projects 

 in their formation, construction and maintenance, has acted as a bureau 

 of information on various drainage matters for State and town officials, 

 and for such individuals as presented to it their problems. It wishes to 

 point out that the Reclamation Law was drawn to provide the owners of 

 wet lands with the necessary legal machinery for accomplishing their 

 purposes; that under this law the entire cost is assessed upon the land 

 benefitted ; that the State pays only the cost of supervision ; that the law 

 is available for all wishing to use it ; that it can be used to solve many of 

 the sanitary problems of cities and towns. The Board has continued its 

 policy of encouraging district organization to work with and assist town 

 authorities in solving their mutual drainage problems. It desires to again 

 emphasize the fact that the cost of projects developed under the Reclama- 

 tion Law is assessed upon the land owners benefitted; the only portion 

 of these expenses borne by the State being that of assistance in organ- 

 izing and of supervision." There has been no new construction started 

 this year. 



Drainage Districts 



Only three districts remain of those organized under the original 

 Drainage Laws; namely, the Cherry Rum Brook District, Greenfield; the 

 Weweantic River District in Carver and Wareham; and the Salisbury 

 District at Salisbury. 



The first was finished and the assessments made in 1925. The project 

 has been paid for and some additional maintenance carried on. 



The Weweantic District has been completed, the cost repaid to the 

 County by the town of Carver and by it assessed on the individuals bene- 

 fitted. It is planned to dissolve this district and later organize one or 

 more reclamation districts to provide storage reservoirs for the cran- 

 berry bogs, and to adjust flooding and discharge from these bogs to pre- 

 vent unnecessary damage to any bog. The total cost of draining these 

 cranberry bogs was $3,177.86. 



The Salisbury District became active this year. This is the first pro- 

 ject examined by the original Drainage Board. Under the drainage law 

 these districts can only be financed through the use of the county credit 



