LAND DRAINAGE BY MEANS OF PUMPS. 9 
for small, isolated tracts of valley land whose reclamation had been 
deferred because of the heavy expense attached. The future will see 
the reclamation of both larger and smaller districts. 
LEVEES. • 
The protective levee begins at the bluff at one end of the district, 
follows along the bank of the entering tributary to its junction with 
the river, thence along the river bank to the other tributary, and up 
that again to the bluff. Thus, ordinarily, the levee extends con- 
tinuously around three sides of the district. The correct location of 
the levee to secure a good foundation and to leave sufficient flood- 
way for the river, and its proper construction of sufficient strength to 
resist erosion, undermining, and overtopping, are engineering ques- 
tions of vital importance to the welfare of the district. It was the 
unfortunate experience of nearly every one of the early levee dis- 
tricts on the Illinois River that, as first constructed, the levees were 
entirely inadequate in size and strength, with the result that they 
were broken by floods, their interiors were inundated, and years 
elapsed before the districts recovered from the injury. With the 
interior of a district in cultivation the damage from one flooding due 
to a break in the levee might easily exceed the entire cost of building 
a levee of ample size to protect the district. This has occurred on a 
number of the levee districts on both the Illinois and the Mississippi 
Rivers. The levees on the Warsaw-Quincy District were originally 
built and later repaired and strengthened at a total cost of about 
$500,000. This district was flooded in four different years, and each 
time the estimated damage was over $600,000. By spending the 
proper amount of money originally a saving of at least $1,500,000 
could have been made. The total cost of the levees, including first 
cost, repairs, and enlargements on the Sny Island District was 
about $1,125,000. The estimated damage of five years of flooding 
between 1876 and 1903 was approximately $2,700,000. Similar 
damage has resulted in many levee districts. The older a district 
becomes, the greater the damage which may result from a break in 
the levee. In the construction of the levees around new districts 
the need of an ample margin of safety is now generally admitted, 
and many of the older districts are enlarging levees which have 
withstood record high-water stages in the adjoining river. Officials 
and landowners in levee districts should make certain that the levee 
is properly designed, located, constructed, and maintained. 
LOCATION. 
The location of the levee will influence its design, construction, and 
maintenance. Intelligent location will aid in avoiding poor levee 
material and bad foundation. Every effort should be made to avoid 
locating the levee where it will be exposed to strong currents or direct 
5393°— Bull. 304—15 2 
