1403 Issued December 22,1911. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. ■ OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS—CIRCHIAR HR. A. C. TRUE, Director. DRAINAGE OF THE WET LANDS OF EFFINGHAM COUNTY, GA. BY F. G. EASON, Drainage Engineer, PKEPABED UNDER THE DIRECTION OP C. G. ELLIOTT, Chief of Drainage Investigations. WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFEIOE. 1911. OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. A. C. True, Director. E. W. Allen, Assistant Director. STAFF OF DRAINAGE INVESTIGATIONS. C. G. Elliott, Chief Drainage Engineer and Chief of Drainage Investigations. A. D. Morehouse, Office Engineer and Assistant Chief of Drainage Investigations. R. D. Marsden, Office Engineer. H. H. Barrows, Assistant Office Engineer. G. F. Pohlers, H. B. Artley, J. G. Hanford, Draftsmen. H. S. Yoke, Senior Clerk. drainage engineers. S. H. McCrory, H. a. Kipp, F. F. Shafer, O. G. Baxter, G. M. Warren, D. L. A'arnell, J. V. Phillips, F. G. Eason, C. W. Okey. ASSISTANT DRAINAGE ENGINEERS. J. R. Haswell, N. B, Wade, W. J. Schlick, A. G. Hall, C. W. Mengel. « » DRAINAGE ENGINEERS FOR IRRIGATED LANDS. R. A. HAiSft', D. G. JMiller, W. W. Weir, S. W. Cooper, W. A. Kelly, W. N. Hall, W. G. Sloan. ENGINEERS AVAILABLE FOR SPECIAL WORK. S. M. Woodward, A, E. Morgan, C. F. Brown, L. L. Hidinger. [Cir. 113] (2) LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Experiment Stations, Washington, D. C., May 15, 1911. Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a manuscript by F. G. Eason, drainage engineer, prepared under the direction of C. G. Elliott, chief of drainage investigations, on Drainage of the Wet Lands of Effingham County, Ga. This report deals with the general drainage conditions of the county and the various elements which enter into the solution of the problem. A drainage map has been prepared showing the natural watersheds into which the territory is divided, suggestive of the boundaries of the drainage districts which should be formed. A plan for the improvement of Mill Creek has been worked out as illustrative of the methods of reclaiming overflow bottom lands. An appendix gives a list of bench marks which will be useful in cariy- ing out any drainage surveys in the future. In order that an interest in drainage matters may be aroused and the drainage of lands promoted not only in Effingham County but also in the many other districts of Georgia needing reclamation, it is recommended that this report be published as a circular of this office. Respectfully, A. C. True, Director. Hon, James Wilson, Secretary of Agriculture. [Cir. 113J (3) i 5 'V.-'.. ‘ . * I ’-• V.^v I . vl- ^ < * \ - ‘v ’•' T.' '.‘f’.C /*•-■ » f'V'v ’• • 'i v; .■ - ■ *- V ,.. ■ ----0^"^^' - ' ri' ■ -•■• ' • J • " 4 * 1 ' A? ' ’.V' . "*1 • *« • X » 1.'.*. ^ i i k* , ■ , ^ ^ % 1, jf-. *■/ - ».i\ / I i • 4 *-'* j/ , M - - .-*..• • - r ^ * . & 'V . ^ f . \iu ■ •.c ■' '■ 11.^4 •,^7j -I ivMr) fxA \ \ M?. . ^J .■ 4 - .4 ,,^K-! r»>Vf Uill K' AO -<5iOjrr^i*r^w Olifl'j k .!)UV/ vhjT-O :nni4?ir0>fT ,^y} :vjili.ri^') * 0 '''q ^w}i -m oix^^ 4 : 0 ^® 7J,<>Ji'-'/-1 Oi'h iv^uii^ i>,jc.- Ujli v^ifl 0l{f " [’ ^ 4 -^^ ^-r'>i 7 T {I, To tuhifJ nurf^t ^ 0 " V> ; : .' ^:- • i i I'lif- hI; ^ ■:osjui ^v^^> O'i-tvu IiAi.ksO - ji" yvi/^ni v-./! 7 rrrt'v ,f 7 »i*j;iivi ]'> nA - • 0 -^ _ < " •' . : * ' O It I , • yr.‘ ^ •• j ■v 7 ii' 7 i'r j'ii iiio 4 4 ‘ A ;Ki4.;Ki'In'.oW .-:7! 7 7yi. i'n \-:Yi^^liU 0<< ^ 7>:r^5, ,* 7 U;'' /’!';lVr--. u}.: V 7 ‘Vdt rl u* .’t >-: i' • :. '>-'>r'f ‘ ^ ■aI, ' 7 , 1 V; ; HI ..ij' - -I^ir - k ..' •f' ii f!l >n n’ .' Ol' iVtVj ^ 0 -i/ •'■ ’>... ■ ' ■' \' ; ' • 4J i ./. '. *- ■ ^ . "1 , • '' •' \ \ ^ %'• / fc . s'. / ' - ‘ ^ ^ J ''' . t r ^ •^•y • .. • / "L . *v ; - -■ K.' A- n: - i 7 -v\ 4 inh*DK • ‘T' -V' ' . V - f-■» ■ < - ■ ■ • ->-'r'.'; . ^ ■ . ' . >; ' .cl?’ ■ '■ru ‘Y ^ V.- ‘ t i ^ r ■ ^N.• ’# • ^ ■-*••- '• 4 -. V.^-1 'v-t:: ’ •;* f'U', ! /. '•>■ ;•. ■■ v -7 ’**"'. *:*'.*r * ' ■ *. '•' *>'* . -v .i ft- f; 7 ' > ".SiBti/ CONTENTS. Page. Introduction... : . 7 General description of Effingham County. 8 Topography. 8 Soil. 9 Industries and transportation. 10 Drainage conditions. 10 Rainfall and run-off... 12 How drainage can be secured. 15 Conclusion. 16 Improvement of Mill Creek. 18 Method of construction. 21 Estimate of cost. 22 Appendix. 23 Bench marks along Central of Georgia Railroa% 4-» c 3 O o Z 4> o X 1- 4^ < 4- t. o O « u 4) K (O o> u <0 ’> c d c. O .5‘55 S> c kJ >^« ?o P P/O o ;pe