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Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XI, No. 6 
normal conditions were not restored until the end of the year. (See 
Table V.) 
GUEYDAN DRAINAGE DISTRICT, SUBDISTRICT NO. I—AREA 7,500 ACRES 
This district lies in the southwestern part of the State, and its natural 
features are quite different from those of the districts previously described. 
The land was taken from the typical wet prairie of southwestern Louisiana. 
While the surface was covered with a grass similar to that found in the 
aforementioned districts, the muck is very much shallower and more turfy 
in character. Before drainage the average depth was somewhat less than 
a foot. The muck is underlain by a clay subsoil that is very solid and 
impervious. The surface slope of the district is from north to south, 
toward the pumping plant, and totals about 2 feet in 3 miles. The area 
was first inclosed and the pumps started in March, 1912. As the subsoil 
was solid, the water was lowered very rapidly without damage to canal 
banks. The work of cutting the field ditches was begun in December, 
1911, and was finished during the following summer months. The main 
drainage canals are spaced yi mile apart. 
The percentages of the rainfall in run-off during the first three months 
of operation were not calculated, as all the original surface water was not 
drained out until about the first of June. There were no bodies of open 
water inclosed in this district. On August 23, 1912, the area of the dis¬ 
trict was increased from 5,600 to 6,500 acres. For this latter area the 
capacity of the pumping plant was 1.25 inches per 24 hours and the 
reservoir capacity was 0.88 inch. 
Conditions during 1913.—During 1913 this tract experienced heavier 
precipitation than had any of the districts up to this time. It is apparent 
from the run-off records (Table VI) that considerable seepage entered the 
district during the early part of the year, and again in the last four months. 
While this was sufficient to affect the monthly totals, it does not make a 
relatively great difference in the maximum run-off for any particular 
storm. The amount of seepage per day depended on the height of the 
water on the outside of the district. Very little water appears to have 
seeped through the levees during a time when the water was not well 
over the surface of the surrounding undrained prairie. The entire seepage 
into the district was through a section of levee about 2,000 feet long which 
crossed a very soft area of land where the muck was from 5 to 15 feet deep 
and where the levee had not been built of good material nor to full height 
and cross section. As the drainage canal was immediately inside this 
section of the levee, the head against this soft material was often 4 to 7 
feet. Cultivation was started on the higher parts of the area, and by the 
end of April 500 acres were plowed. Early in July the area of the district 
was increased to 7,500 acres by the addition of 1,000 acres of raw prairie 
land which had been ditched. 
Conditions during 1914.—Early in 1914 the area of this tract tributary 
to the pumping plant was decreased to 6,500 acres. Whenever the stage 
