DRAINAGE OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, TEXAS. 7 
and low spots, dense growths of rushes and reeds are found. Both the 
prairies and the marshes are used for gi-azing purposes. Approxi- 
mately nine-tenths of the county is in open prairie or marsh, the 
remainder being covered with the native growth of timber and under- 
brush. Lawhorns Woods, located north and west of Fannett, and 
Pine Island Bayou Woods are the largest timber areas, but several 
other patches are found along the upper reaches of Taylors Bayou, 
on Hillebrant Bayou and Bayou Din, and along the Neches River 
bluff. Pine is the predominating tree, but water oak, live oak, and 
post oak are also plentiful. The undergrowth is thick and consists of 
palmetto and other semitropical vegetation, green briars, and black- 
berrv bushes. 
PRESENT DRAINAGE SITUATION. 
As a whole, the county has very poor natural drainage, as has 
been mdicated. In only a few favored spots is the ground well 
drained, and practicaU}^^ every farm should have artificial drainage 
either by open ditches or by tile. Farmers in all parts of the county 
have suffered severe losses, and the rice farmers are particularly in 
need of some means of draining their fields during planting and 
harvesting seasons. Practically the entire southern half of the 
county is very wet and marshy at aU times, and until some system 
of thorough drainage is installed the land can not be cultivated at all. 
DRAINAGE DISTRICTS ORGANIZED. 
Drainage district No. 3, comprising about 47,000 acres south of 
Hamshire, has had surveys and plans made, and construction has 
been completed. Two other attempts to organize drainage districts 
have been made, but owing to lack of cooperation among the land- 
owners and to the inadequacy of the law the organizations have 
not been perfected and no construction work has been done. Some 
years ago several drainage ditches were constructed south of China, 
but they have not been well mamtained and will need to be recon- 
structed before they will fulfiU the purpose for which they were 
ultended. They have no outlets and are neither large enough nor 
deep enough. 
THE SURVEY. 
Carefully checked base levels were first run on all the railroads 
from Beaumont to the boundaries of the county. Bench marks 
were established at intervals of 1 mile or less on railroad mileposts 
or other convenient objects. All elevations were referred to sea-level 
datum as established by War Department engineers. Lines of levels 
were run across the county at intervals of 1 mile or less, approxi- 
mately east and west or north and south, generally with the slope 
of the ground. Roads and fences were often followed for conven- 
ience. Tie Ihies were run perpendicularly to the cross lines in order 
