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Little river drainage speidel
The document discusses the history and impact of drainage projects in the bottomlands region between Missouri and Illinois, known as the Big Swamp. It describes how drainage legislation in the 1850s laid the groundwork, and then over 50 years of organization and construction resulted in the Little River Drainage District (LRDD) system of 956 miles of drainage ditches. This transformed the formerly flooded bottomlands into fertile farmland, improving roads and increasing production of important crops like cotton. The projects were funded through county taxes and provided drainage benefits to participating landowners.
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Little river drainage speidel
- 1. By David Speidel,Kenneth R. Olson and Lois Wright Morton Presented at the 71st SWCS Annual International Conference Management of Bottomlands prone to flooding is not unique, but impact many important food producing regions around the world.
- 2. Draining The BigSwamp Legislation 1850 Swamp Act; States Granting Local Authority; 1900 County Benefits Tax Authority Experience from Surveys for road access and trial and error on smaller Drainage Projects
- 3. Missouri Illinois Diversion and Levees Roads Little River Drainage Watershed St.Johns Bayou Watershed Little River Headwater Diversion Watershed Mississippi River Sediment Basin Interstate Highways55 Rivers City or Village Legend 31 km 20 miles Railroads 51 51 51 34 177 177 91 91 51 34 72 72 55 55 Cape Girardeau Advance Diversion Channel Diversion Channel Diversion Embankment Diversion Embankment Castor River Castor River Whitewater River Whitewater River Greenbriar Floodwall Perryville Jackson Francois Mountains Fredricktown Francois Mountains Ozark Plateau Francois Mountains Ozark Plateau Commerce St. Johns Bayou Watershed Marble Hill Airport Sediment Basin Historic Big Swamp 67 67 67 N
- 4. LRDD Project CampStation 1615, tents under flood conditions Photo courtesy of LRDD and Missouri State Achieves LRDD 2682
- 5. St. Francis Watershed drainsto Mississippi River in Arkansas St. Francis Watershed drains to Diversion Channel Illinois Missouri Kentucky Tennessee Mississippi Arkansas City or Village Rivers and ditches Legend Diversion State borders Kentucky Missouri Tennessee Mississippi Arkansas Jonesboro L'Anguilie River Black River Tyronza River Little River Little River St. Francis River St. Francis River St. Francis River St. Francis River St. Francis River Castor River Whitewater River Mississippi River Mississippi River Mississippi River Ohio River 5 Bridges Cairo Cape Girardeau Memphis Helena 15 mi 24 km N
- 6. Costs varied overthe years ranging from $3.60 to $4.20 per acre Drainage Benefits for Participants' Farmland
- 7. Missouri Illinois Morley Oran Delta Chaffee Dutchtown Cape Girardeau Trail of Tears State Forest Shawnee National Forest Levee Hickory Ridge Ringer Hill Bird's Hill Sediment Basin Whitewater River Crooked Creek Williams Creek Diversion Channel Little River Benton Jackson Hill North Cut Ditch Doolan Shute Commerce toBirds Point Levee Power Island Farmer Levee Len Small Levee Fayville Fayville Levee Scott City Sals Creek Ramsy Creek Thebes Illmo Olive Branch Marquette Island Gale Flood Wall New Hamburg Historic Big Swamp Historic Big Swamp Location of Ancient Mississippi River Whitewater River La Croix Creek Juden Creek Scism Creek Duskin Creek Indian Creek Mississippi River Mississippi River Horseshoe Lake Sandy Creek Little Flora Creek Flora Creek Bainbridge Creek Dutch Creek Sexton Creek Cape Girardeau Airport Bedrock river bottom Missouri Commerce Levee Levee Burnham Island Goose Island 177 177 3461 61 74 74 3 77 55 55 25 25 3 146 61 Alluvial bottom lands (in Missouri and Illinois) Urban Land (cities) 31 km 20 miles Bedrock controlled uplands (in Missouri and Illinois) River bottom under lain by alluvial, lacustrine and outwash, lakes and ponds River bottom under lain by bedrock rock removal site Legend 55 Interstate Highways (I-55) Roads Streams Floodwall Towns Railroads Levees N 3 146
- 8. N Floodway Little River Drainage District Illinois Ohio River Ohio River Mississippi River Mississippi River St. Francis River St. Francis River Little River Little Ditch 5Ditches 5 Ditches St. Francis River Castor River Whitewater River Tennessee Kentucky Arkansas Missouri Carbondale Commerce Cairo Charleston Sikeston Dexter Malden Crowley’s Ridge Crowley’s Ridge Kennett New Madrid Cape Girardeau Jackson Diversion Channel Fredericktown Farmington Francois Mountains Ozark Plateau Ozark Plateau Francois Mountains Little River Headwater Diversion Watershed Little River Drainage Watershed Crowley’s Ridge Missouri not in Little River Watershed Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway Illinois Kentucky Tennessee Arkansas Water, lakes, rivers, ditches Levee in Little River Watershed Roads Interstate Highways57 City or Village 25 km LATITUDE 37° 30' LONGITUDE 89° 15' 67 67 72 67 25 25 34 34 412 412 60 Legend 57 57 55 55
- 9. Producers Continue toinvest in conservation improvements with 38 to 39.5 acres of most field now fully drained Vanduser – Has the most Northerly Gin in Bootheel
- 10. Crowley Ridge cutsacross the Little River Drainage Basin
- 11. Drainage to improveroads to ship this cotton was a catalysts Cotton is one of the regions four important Crops
- 13. St. Francis Watershed drainsto Mississippi River in Arkansas St. Francis Watershed drains to Diversion Channel Illinois Missouri Kentucky Tennessee Mississippi Arkansas City or Village Rivers and ditches Legend Diversion State borders Kentucky Missouri Tennessee Mississippi Arkansas Jonesboro L'Anguilie River Black River Tyronza River Little River Little River St. Francis River St. Francis River St. Francis River St. Francis River St. Francis River Castor River Whitewater River Mississippi River Mississippi River Mississippi River Ohio River 5 Bridges Cairo Cape Girardeau Memphis Helena 15 mi 24 km N
- 14. River or Ditch or Canal LittleRiver Little River 5 Ditches Bridge Cultivated Soil County Line Road Wetlands Roads 4-Lane Highway Little River 5 Ditches 5 Bridges SR412 SR412 Conservation Area 5 Bridges N Legend 0.25 mi 0.50 km
- 15. Took 50 yearsof legislation to lay ground work, 50 years of organization and construction Another 50 years to date L.R.D.D 956 Miles of Drainage Ditches
- 16. Fertile Land Emergedfrom the Big Swamp LRDD a vison that became reality Question?