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iNDIxVNA UNIVERSITY STUDIES 



dredges, and second, the tile drains that feed the former. The fol- 

 lowing is the amount of tile drains and dredge in three of the northern 

 counties: 



Fulton County. In Fulton County there are 75 miles of open 

 dredge ditch and an equal number of miles of tile drains, twelve 

 inches m diameter or larger. Feeding these dredge ditches and 

 larger tile drains there are hundreds of miles of smaller tile drains. 

 In fact, this county is underlain with a net- work of small tile drains 

 that tend to hurry the rainfall to the larger streams. The im- 

 mediate run-off is greatly increased thereby, the flood height is 

 increased, and the duration of high water lessened. 



Starke County, A letter from the surveyor of Starke County 

 written to the writers will be given, as it explains the situation very 

 well. 



Sir: We have about 190 miles of dredge ditch in this county, of which 

 135 miles have been completed within the last ten years. We have about 

 20 miles under construction and petitions are on file for 50 miles more and the 

 Commissioners are acting on 5 miles more. 



There are between 45 and 50 miles of tile drains 10 inches or larger in 

 the county. My opinion about the high water is as follows: the trouble 

 lays in the poor outlet that we have for our lowland ditches. We have open- 

 ed out marshes and lakes into the streams and never once give it another 

 thought. When our marshes receive a heavy rain fall the good ditches rush 

 the water to the rivers and cause floods, and will do so until we get a final 

 outlet or close our ditches to hold the water. 



Yours respectfully, 



Chas. a. Good. 



St. Joseph County. In this county there are 110 miles of 

 dredge ditch and more than 30 miles of tile drains, that are twelve 

 inches in diameter or larger. 



These three counties are a fair average of the northern part 

 of the State. North of ihe Wabash River it is possible to control 

 the floods in a large measure, if not altogether. It might be possible 

 to put dams across the outlets of the numerous lakes. These 

 dams should be equipped with flood gates that could be lowered 

 in times of excessive rainfall, thus ponding the water until the 

 crest of the flood has passed. Later the flood gates could be opened 

 and the lakes lowered to their normal condition. Also a small 

 amount of power could be made in this manner. Silt may be col- 

 lected that otherwise would be carried to the Gulf. Better still, 

 instead of letting the water out of the lakes after the streams have 

 carried away the flood waters that could not be controlled, the 



