Transforming the Valley Floor
King County commissioners authorize a massive drainage project to reclaim 3,000 acres for agricultural use near Kent.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The board of county commissioners have decided on cutting a drainage ditch from the Black River to Kent, which will be of immense value to the country through which it passes. The main ditch will run from the river to Orillia, where it will branch into two channels. One branch will run along next to the bluff and the other in the center of the valley, both terminating at Kent. Including both branches, the total length will be about eight miles. An area of fully 3,000 acres will be drained, and the ditch must necessarily be a large one. The engineers start to work on the surveying on Monday.
“The board of county commissioners have decided on cutting a drainage ditch from the Black river to Kent, which will be of immense value to the country.”
This project reflects the era's ambition to 'improve' wetlands for economic growth. Many of these historical drainage projects are now being re-evaluated for their impact on salmon habitat and flood management in the modern Green River Valley.
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