36 BULLETIISr 181, V. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUKE. 



work, exclusive of that of clearing the main floodway varies in the 

 different drainage districts from $15.72 to S44,36 per acre, the average 

 cost per acre for the entire 36 districts being $23.06. It is recom- 

 mended that the clearing of the main floodway be done by a separate 

 organization comprising all of the overflowed land below district 

 No. 1, exclusive of that of the floodway itself. On this basis the 

 cost of clearing would be $5.21 per acre benefited. 



Especial attention is called to the necessity of providing sedimen- 

 tation areas at the lower extremities of the several tributaries of the 

 river, and of taking immediate steps to arrest the hillside erosion 

 now taking place within the watershed. 



It is doubtful if conditions in the valley at this time justify the 

 expenditure necessary for the complete reclamation as outlmed, 

 although at least one of the districts (No. 1) should be carried out 

 at once. A feature that contributes greatly to the high cost per acre 

 for the levee districts is the narrowness of the bottoms as compared 

 with the large amount of water that must be provided for. It has 

 seemed advisable, however, to prepare plans for the reclamation of 

 the entire part of the valley under consideration, as the increasing 

 demand for agricultural land will doubtless make the ultimate 

 reclamation of these lands desirable. 



In weighing the advantages of drainage as against the cost, the 

 landowners should not lose sight of those benefits which may be 

 termed secondary as distinct from those to which a direct money 

 value can be assigned. First among benefits of this class should be 

 placed the improved health conditions that foUow improvements 

 of this nature. Experience has also shown that the betterment of 

 roads, made possible by drainage, results not only in greatly decreased 

 cost of their maintenance, but also in the cheaper transportation of 

 produce and in generally improved educational and social conditions 

 in the community. 



