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within a district defined in advance. And this agency must he appointed 

 and directed hy the courts or hy a State board. 



This is the crucial problem. It involves the coordination of several, at 

 present unrelated agencies, as for instance the city government, the county 

 commissioners, and the railways. 



Of what benefit is it to a city like Peru, to spend $350,000.00 on a 

 levee, if this scheme demands for its proper action the lengthening of a 

 county or railway bridge, when the county commissioners or railway 

 officials refuse to cooperate. 



It must also be remembered that we all have gone ahead creating new 

 obstructions in the flood plain and in the channel which interfere with 

 the flow of our flood waters. Railways, cities and county commissioners 

 are responsible for the conditions. Channel obstructions must be removed, 

 and either the State or the Federal Government must take action. Some 

 control must be exercised over present as well as future constructions in 

 the channels. 



Fourth Problem. 



Valley Protection. 

 When we take a wider view than that of the specific problem of a 

 single city, we must consider a flood protection scheme from the stand- 

 point of the watershed as a whole. One city in Indiana has made flood 

 protection plans which deflect the water around the city, and throw it 

 around in increased volume on its neighboring down stream. Cities often 

 content themselves with sluicing the water through the cities and pile them 

 up on communities below. Here is again the problem of state action to 

 protect the whole people. Fortunately this is not merely an action of 

 control, but means a wider viewpoint that may disclose a cheaper and 

 better method of protecting the whole valley. 



Fifth Problem. 

 Maintenance. 

 After these works have been constructed, we have a fifth problem in 

 their maintenance. It must be recollected that these works are built to 

 protect against floods which happen only once or twice in a generation. 

 Naturally such works as leeves and reservoirs will tend to be neglected 

 during this unused interval. If people construct dwellings and operate 

 industries in a space supposedly protected by improperly maintained reser- 



