BULLETIN OF THE 
 
 No. 114 
 
 5 Contribution from Office of Experiment Stations, A. C. True, Director, 
 
 July 13. 1914. 
 
 (PROFESSIONAL PAPER.) 
 
 IREPORT UPON THE BLACK AND BOGGY SWAMPS DRAINAGE 
 DISTRICT, HAMPTON AND JASPER COUNTIES, S. C. 
 
 By F. G. Eason, Drainage Engineer. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ; While in some respects all the swamp lands of the Atlantic Coastal 
 Plain are alike, the problems to be met in draining the lands differ 
 omewhat from one section to another. In Georgia and the Caro- 
 linas are many areas that have little slope as a whole, but in detail 
 |are somewhat roiling. From the higher parts, scattered among the 
 |flat open woodlands and the timbered bays and branches in which 
 Jwater stands the greater part of the year, the timber has been cleared 
 and small farms have been established. The watercourses, which are 
 broad, shallow, winding depressions, with no marked channel, are 
 usually filled with grovnng timber and thick underbrush. 
 
 The topographical conditions require that these lands be drained 
 in units of considerable size, necessitating the cooperation of many 
 landowners. In order that a few owners may not prevent a greater 
 number from reclaiming their wet lands, when the few can not be 
 |excluded from the district to be formed, most States have passed 
 general laws providing for the organization of drainage districts and 
 an equitable distribution of the cost. In accordance with such a 
 statute enacted in 1911 by the Legislature of South Carolina, the Black 
 and Boggy Swamps drainage district was organized in March, 1912. 
 
 Because the Black and Boggy Swamps drainage district is in many 
 respects typical of other areas in the same and bordering States, and 
 because it is the first district organized under the above law, and as 
 I the landowners are naturally cautious about beginning an unfamiliar 
 kind of undertaking. Drainage Investigations of the Office of Experi- 
 ^ment Stations, United States Department of Agriculture, at the 
 iirequest of the landowners and in cooperation with them, made a 
 
 Note.— This paper is intended for engineers and others interested in drainage enterprises in regions 
 where the conditions are similar to those here described; it is suitable for distribution in the South Atlantic 
 States. 
 
 45582®—Bull. 114—14-1 
 
2 
 
 BULLETIN 114, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
 
 survey of tKe district and prepared plans of the work to be done, 
 together with an estimate of the cost. The survey was begun in 
 August, 1912, and field work was completed in November of the same 
 year. The following report presents' a description of the district 
 and of the drainage plan and a brief discussion of the problems in¬ 
 volved in such reclamation. 
 
 general description. 
 
 LOCATION. 
 
 Black and Boggy Swamps drainage district is located about 75 
 miles west of Charleston, S. C., 40 miles north of Savannah, Ga., and 
 100 miles south of Columbia, S. C., in the southern part of Hampton 
 County and the western part of Jasper County, S. C. (See fig. 1.) 
 It includes all the lands drained by Boggy Swamp and Black Swamp, 
 together with the lands in the vicinity of Garnett that are drained by 
 Church Branch, Hog Branch, and King Branch, all extending as far 
 down as high water from the Savannah Kiver; the area ia 67,642 acres, 
 or about 106 square miles. In shape the district is approximately a 
 rectangle, 12 miles long northwest and southeast, and 9 miles wide. 
 The Seaboard Air Line Railway and the Columbia-Savanhah line 
 of the Southern Railway traverse the district in a northerly and 
 southerly direction, and on these railroads are situated the principal 
 towns in the district, Scotia, Garnett, Furman, and Pineland. Other 
 towns and settlements in the district are Brighton, Shirley, Robert- 
 ville, LawtonviUe, Staffords, and Goethe. 
 
 TOPOGRAPHY. 
 
 The district is situated 40 to 50 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, and 
 thus lies within the Coastal Plain. There are in the neighborhood, 
 including the Black and Boggy Swamps district, three distinct benches 
 or levels paralleling the Savannah River. First, the river swamp 
 proper; second, a higher level subject to occasional overflow, known 
 locally as ^^savannas”; and third, the general elevation of lands in 
 the district under consideration. The north, east, and west bounda¬ 
 ries of the district are formed by natural watershed lines, but no such 
 natural boundary occurs on the south. The general elevation of the 
 lands in the southern part of the district east of the Seaboard Air 
 Line Railway varies from 50 to 70 feet above sea level until the 
 second bench from the river is reached, where it suddenly falls off 
 about 25 feet. The foot of this slope has been determined upon as 
 the district boundary. The southern part of the district west of the 
 Seaboard Air Line Railway is much flatter and no decided slope is 
 evident, the land rising gradually from the second to the third level, 
 so that the southern boundary of the district should be more accu- 
 
6 ^ 1.5 
 E o-1 Jx. 
 
 DKAINAGE OF BLACK AND BOGGY SWAMPS, S. C. 3 
 
 Lately established than has yet been done. It should be the liipdt of 
 
 high water from the Savannah River. 
 
 ^ The general slope of the ground is southward toward the coast and 
 
 ^ westward toward the Savannah River, which is the outlet for all of 
 i- 
 
 the drainage of the district. The northern or upper end of the district 
 is much more rolling and hilly than are the southern and western 
 ends. The topography north of Shirley, Scotia, and Furman (see 
 fig. 2) is very irregular, there being considerable stretches of high land 
 now under cultivation, broken by large areas of flat bays and swamps 
 
4 
 
 BULLETIN 114, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
 
 of much lower elevation. These bays usually are the headwaters of 
 the various branches which flow southerly through the district. 
 Practically all of the land in the upper section of the district that can 
 be cultivated under present conditions is now being farmed; the 
 remainder is composed almost entirely of these flat bays and branches, 
 notable examples of which are Rogers Bay, Steep Bottom Bay, Alli¬ 
 gator Bay, Green Pond, and Roberts Pond. The section between 
 Scotia, Shirley, and Garnett is much flatter and of an entirely different 
 conformation. This area is a relatively high plain, vdth marked 
 slopes on three sides to Wolf Bay, Long Branch, Church Branch, Hog 
 Branch, King Branch, Manigault Branch, Hurricane Branch, and 
 Beaver Dam Branch No. 1. In it are found large areas of flat, open 
 pine woods, containing standing water a good portion of the year. 
 The area is badly in need of drainage. The wet condition is due to 
 the lack of proper drainage connection between the shallow depres¬ 
 sions on this plain and the branches which surround it. The drainage 
 in the southeastern part of the district is good, owing to the rolling 
 nature of the lands and the large fall from them to the branches. 
 
 The v/estern portion of the district, particularly the area west of the 
 Augusta Road, is different from the other parts and should be de¬ 
 scribed separately. There is in the extreme w^estern part a large area 
 called Haskell Baroney Swamp, which is formed by the junction of 
 The Savannas, Rum Branch, Mill Branch, and Boggy Swamp. 
 Haskell Baroney Swamp is about 3 miles long north and south and 
 about 2 miles mde; it is a continuous, flat swamp, much below the 
 general level of the adjoining lands. Betv/een the swamp and the 
 Savannah River is a clay ridge (see fig. 2), the top of which forms the 
 western boundary of the district. There are several breaks in this 
 ridge, and during extreme floods water has been known to flow from 
 the Savannah River through these breaks into the head of ^^The 
 Savannas,’^ thence through Boggy Swamp back into the river. 
 
 The eastern portion of the district is also quite flat, and large areas 
 of flat bays are encountered, especially in the southeastern part, from 
 RobertviUe toward Pineland, and the watershed is not clearly defined. 
 Many years ago a ditch was constructed which flows into Titi Branch 
 and drains an area in the vicinity of Pineland. To follow the natural 
 course of drainage this land would not be drained northwest to Titi 
 Branch but southeast to Cypress CVeek, which stream is not in the 
 district. The prese'nt course of drainage is unnatural, and these lands 
 have therefore been excluded from the district. 
 
 There are several ponds in the district which, owing to their depth, 
 can not be drained by gravity, but must remain undrained unless 
 pumping is resorted to. The general location of these ponds is the 
 flat land between Scotia and Shirley, but the total area is only a few 
 
DRAINAGE OF BLACK AND BOGGY SWAMPS, S. C. 
 
 5 
 
 The highways of the district are the usual dirt roads, but they have 
 been improved recently by the county and are now in very good 
 condition. 
 
 WATERSHEDS. 
 
 There are two distinct primary watershed areas in this district, 
 drained respectively by Boggy Swamp and Black Swamp, which are 
 in turn divided into various secondary watersheds drained by the 
 tributary branches or swamps. In addition to the two main water¬ 
 sheds with their tributaries there is included within the district a 
 section of land in the vicinity of Garnett drained by Church Branch, 
 Hog Branch, and King Branch. These branches flow down into the 
 second level of overflowed lands bordering the Savannah Kiver and 
 form what is known as the ^^Pallachucolla Savannas,’’ which empty 
 farther down into Black Swamp. Thus, while they are in reahty 
 tributaries of Black Swamp, they will require separate handling so 
 far as this project is concerned. Similarly, Scott Swamp No. 1, 
 south of RobertviUe, and two small areas farther west must be con¬ 
 sidered separately. Black Swamp and its tributaries drain 18,490 
 acres, Boggy Swamp and its tributaries drain 36,693 acres, and the 
 independent watercourses drain 12,459 acres. 
 
 These watershed areas are for the most part fairly roUing, although 
 the portion of the district west of the Augusta Road and that part 
 between Scotia and Garnett are quite flat. The higher and more 
 rolling lands are cultivated to some extent at present, as they have 
 very fair natural drainage, which is aided by some farm drainage; 
 but even on those lands crops fail in wet years, showing the need of 
 a general system of drainage. The swamps and the flatter areas are 
 mostly covered with timber, which is being rapidly cut off by lumber 
 companies. 
 
 DRAINAGE CHANNELS. 
 
 There is no lack of drainage channels in Black and Boggy Swamps 
 district, yet drainage conditions are bad. The situation is due pri¬ 
 marily to two causes—(1) lack of suitable drainage connection between 
 the wet, flat areas and the drainage channels or branches, and (2) 
 the inability of the drainage channels to remove the water after it 
 has reached them. The two main drainage channels for the district 
 are Boggy Swamp and Black Swamp, the former serving the northern 
 and western parts of the district, the latter serving the eastern part, 
 and both Anally emptying into the Savannah River, the outlet for 
 all of the water from this district. There are numerous smaller 
 branches or swamps tributary to these, which reach out to the differ¬ 
 ent parts of the district, and which are the outlets for the drainage 
 from their respective watersheds. A general description of these 
 channels will suffice for this discussion, since they are all similar in 
 character and differ only as to size. 
 
6 BULLETIN 114, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
 
 In general, the drainage outlets are low, flat branches or swamps, 
 varying in width from 50 to 1,500 feet and having in most instances- 
 no discernible channel or ^^run.’’ Where a branch has a run of appre¬ 
 ciable size, the latter will almost invariably be found so choked with 
 fallen logs and trees, bushes, and all manner of debris, as to afford 
 but a poor channel for the water. The branches are overgrown with 
 thick underbrush and. water-loving trees, such as cypress, gum, mapley 
 and ash, through which the water finds its way but slowly There 
 being in most places no channel, the water covers the ground from 
 hill to hill, and the swamps, therefore, can not be cultivated. Where 
 the adjoining land lies but little above the level of the swamp it also 
 is affected to a great extent by this water, which seeps the land and 
 thus keeps it wet and soiu*. While cleaning out these swamps would 
 undoubtedly help conditions considerably, this alone will not give 
 satisfactory drainage, which can result only from lowering the water 
 table by the construction of deep ditches. These swamps are almost 
 continually wet, and in most seasons contain standing water. How¬ 
 ever, with the exception of those near the Savannah Eiver, they all 
 have large fall and can easily be drained. The bays and ponds 
 where most of these branches have their rise are very flat, and for 
 this reason will be much more difficult to drain. 
 
 In places throughout the district ditches have been dug in these 
 branches, and much good has resulted from them. Hurricane Branch 
 and Hog Branch have been improved in this manner, and little addi¬ 
 tional work on them is necessary, the swamp often being under 
 cultivation right up to the edge of the ditch. These are exceptions, 
 however, and comparatively Httle work of this character has been 
 done. After having been constructed, these ditches have not always 
 been maintained, and consequently have filled up and fallen into 
 disuse. 
 
 son. AND CROPS. 
 
 The predominating soil of the district is a light sandy loam under¬ 
 lain by a reddish to yellow clay subsoil at depths of 4 to 18 inches. 
 This is the type most generally cultivated in the district at this time. 
 The soil on the flat ‘^piney woods’’ land is composed of a grayish 
 clay, which is extremely tenacious and is difficult to drain on account 
 of its compact nature. Toward the Savannah River the sandy soil 
 changes to a red clay, which can be seen outcropping in places. 
 The soil of the bays, swamps, and branches is a heavy black muck, 
 several feet thick, which in most places is underlain by a clay, but 
 in some of the bays by a sandy subsoil. While the ditches planned 
 are to be located almost entirely in the muck soil of the swamps and 
 branches, they are to furnish drainage outlets for all the district, as 
 all the soil types need drainage, though the need is not so great for 
 the loam soil as for the others. 
 
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U S DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS 
 
 drainage. INVEISTIGATIONS 
 
 MAP OF 
 
 BLACK AND BOGGY SWAMPS DRAINAGE DISTRICT 
 
 HAMPTON AND JASPER COUNTIES,S.C. 
 
 Showing proposed drainage channels 
 
 Prepared to accompany a report upon the drainage of the district by 
 FG.Eason,Drainage Engineer 
 
 Under the direction of 
 
 S.H.MSCrory,Chief of Drainage Investigations 
 1913 
 
 River 
 
 legend 
 
 Proposed Ditches - - Ro<3ds — ' "' ’' 
 
 District Boundary Watershed Line... 
 
 Surface EJevahons oESiyanip.^ _ 
 
 Bench Marks _ HighWafer Lwe 
 
 JG HANFORD DEL 
 
 ANO THF Al *m*i 
 
s 
 
 A 
 
 ELEVATION IN FEET 
 
DRAINAGE OF BLACK AND BOGGY SWAMPS^ S. C. 
 
 7 
 
 The principal industry of the people of the district is farming; but 
 only a small part of the land available for this purpose is now being 
 utilized, due to the sparsely settled condition. The chief money 
 crop of the district is cotton, and the greater part of the acreage 
 under cultivation is planted to it. The other crops grown are prin¬ 
 cipally corn, oats, hay, and watermelons. Labor conditions in the 
 district are not of the best, but notwithstanding this drawback very 
 good crops are obtained, due to intelhgent methods of cultivation 
 and fertilizing. The growing of truck crops might become very 
 profitable by the utilization of artesian water for irrigation. There 
 are already a number of these wells scattered over the district, all 
 of which are bold, flowing wells from 900 to 1,000 feet deep. 
 
 THE SURVEY. 
 
 The survey was made from camp by a party under the direction 
 of F. G. Eason. Field work was begun August 2, 1912, and com¬ 
 pleted November 14, 1912. The principal roads of the district were 
 traversed by compass and stadia, ground surface elevations being 
 taken at intervals of about 500 feet. All the branches, swamps, and 
 watercourses were meandered by stadia and compass, and sufficient 
 elevations were taken in them to secure the data necessary for the 
 proper location of the ditches. Levels were run entirely across the 
 district, usually east and west, at intervals of about one-half mile, 
 and these lines were tied to all other level lines crossed. Levels 
 were also run along both railroads. 
 
 After the edges of Boggy Swamp and Black Swamp had been 
 surveyed, the locations of the proposed ditches in them were deter¬ 
 mined by means of compass and steel-tape measurements, except 
 from station 0 to station 150 on Boggy Swamp and from station 0 to 
 station 62 on Black Swamp. On the located lines stakes properly 
 marked were set at intervals of 100 feet; substantial hubs were set 
 about 500 feet apart and at angles in the line; and the trees along the 
 fines were well blazed. Profile levels were run over these lines, eleva¬ 
 tions being taken every 100 feet. The Black Swamp and Boggy 
 Swamp ditches were the only ones located in the field; the other 
 ditch lines shown on the map were not surveyed. 
 
 The datum for the levels is sea level as secured from the Seaboard 
 Air Lme Bailway, taking the elevation of top of rail at Scotia and run¬ 
 ning all levels from that point. Bench marks were set along the main 
 roads and at other prominent points, usually on roots of trees suitably 
 inscribed. Three standard iron and bronze Drainage Investigations 
 bench marks were set, one each at Scotia, Brighton, and Kobertville. 
 The data secured in the survey are shown on the accompanying map 
 and profile (figs. 2 and 3). 
 
8 BULLETIN 114, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
 
 RUN-OFF. 
 
 The run-off from a natural drainage basin is generally under¬ 
 stood to be that water which flows from the area through the surface 
 outlet channel. In designing drainage improvements, consideration 
 must be given to the maximum rate of run-off for which provision 
 should be made rather than to the total quantity to be removed. The 
 principal factors affecting this rate in the Black and Boggy Swamps 
 drainage district are rainfall, soil, and topography. 
 
 RAINFALL. 
 
 There are no stations of the United States Weather Bureau within 
 this district, although it is well surrounded by stations at which con¬ 
 tinuous precipitation records have been kept for years. From a study 
 of the records secured at Allendale, Walterboro, and Yemassee, S. C., 
 and Statesboro, Ga. (see fig. 1), the rainfall in the Black and Boggy 
 Swamps district can be learned with sufficient accuracy. These 
 daily records for the years 1903 to 1912, inclusive, have been carefully 
 compared with each other and with the daily records secured at 
 Wliiteville, N. C., for comparing this district with the Chadbourn and 
 Lyon Swamp districts as explained in the following paragraphs. 
 
 PROBABLE RATE OF RUN-OFF. 
 
 Drainage districts where conditions are similar to those in the 
 Black and Boggy Swamps drainage district have been completed in 
 southeastern North Carolina and have been in operation for sometime, 
 but no measurements of flood run-off from these ditches have been 
 made. These districts, however, afford the best guide in designing 
 the ditches for this district. At Chadbomm, N. C., the rainfall, topog¬ 
 raphy, evaporation and transpiration of plants, climate and seasons, 
 the natm’al reservoir and storage capacities of the streams, and the na¬ 
 ture of the vegetable growth are very nearly the same as in the district 
 under discussion. Several ditches which drain areas varying in size 
 from 400 to 2,150 acres have been constructed in that locality and 
 have been in operation for about two years. The prmcipal difference 
 between conditions at Chadbourn and in Black and Boggy Swamps 
 district is that the soil at Chadbourn is a sandy loam 3 to 8 inches deep 
 underlain by a clay or clayey sand that is quite permeable and which 
 will absorb water very readily; this, as compared with the soil in the 
 district under discussion, wiU give a low run-off. The ditches at 
 Chadbourn were designed to remove 1 inch in depth of water from 
 the entire watershed in 24 hours when running bank fuU. Where 
 those ditches were constructed as designed they are working satis¬ 
 factorily. 
 
 In Bladen and Pender Counties, N. C., the Lyon Swamp Canal, 
 which drains an area of about 18,000 acres, has been completed for a 
 
DRAINAGE OF BLACK AND BOGGY SWAMPS^ S. C. 
 
 9 
 
 year or more. Conditions in the Lyon Swamp district are practically 
 the same as at Chadbourn, and the chief difference, so far as run-off 
 factors are concerned, between that district and the Black and Boggy 
 Swamps drainage district lies in the character of the soil. The 
 drainage area of the Lyon Swamp district consists of 6,000 acres of 
 dark brown and black loam from 3 to 5 feet deep underlain by a coarse 
 sand, which gradually changes to a fine sand, and about 12,000 acres 
 of sand ridges and bays, the latter varying in size from 1 acre to 2,000 
 acres. The soil of the sand ridges consists of a very coarse white 
 sand, which absorbs the heaviest rainfalls with great rapidity. That 
 of the bays consists of a very fine white sand near the surface, which 
 also absorbs water quite readily. The entire area is underlain by 
 blue marl at a depth of from 15 to 20' feet below the surface. The 
 Lyon Swamp ditch was designed to remove one-half inch in depth of 
 water from the entire area in 24 hours. The soil in this district, taken 
 as a whole, will give a considerably lower rim-off than that of the 
 Black and Boggy Swamps drainage district. 
 
 From the preceding description of the several districts it will be 
 seen that the chief difference is in the character of the soil, that of 
 the Black and Boggy Swamps drainage district being of such a char¬ 
 acter as to give a somewhat higher run-off than either of the other 
 districts. Therefore it would appear that the main outlet ditch for 
 Boggy Swamp should be designed to remove a run-off of three-fourths 
 inch depth in 24 hours from its entire watershed of 36,693 acres 
 and 1 inch depth from areas less than 20,000 acres. On the same 
 basis the main outlet ditch for Black Sw^amp should be designed to 
 ' remove 1 inch of depth of run-off from its entire watershed area, 
 18,490 acres. 
 
 PLAN OF IMPROVEMENT. 
 
 The plan recommended for reclaiming the lands of Black and 
 Boggy Swamps drainage district consists of a system of open ditches. 
 These ditches, as a general rule, are planned to lie in the lowest parts 
 of the swamps and are as straight as can be made without leaving 
 the swamp. In only a few instances have the swamps been departed 
 from, the object in these cases being to make cut-offs across the 
 adjoining lands where they are low, thus reducing the distance. 
 The complete plan involves the construction of 68 miles of dredged 
 ditches and 98 miles of handmade ditches, a total of 166 miles for 
 the district. On the two lines located in the field all changes of 
 direction have been shown by angles, which in construction should 
 be replaced by curves of suitable radius so that the flow of water 
 will not be retarded by abrupt changes of direction. In the fol¬ 
 lowing paragraphs some of the principal features of ditch construc¬ 
 tion as applicable to this district are taken up. 
 
 45582°—Bull. 114—14-2 
 
10 
 
 BULLETIN 114, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
 
 SIZES OF DITCHES. 
 
 The computations of the ditch capacities have been based on the 
 Chezy formula for flow in open channels, V = CVllS, in which C was 
 determined by Kutter’s formula, using 0.030 as the value of the 
 roughness coefiicient n.^’ Except at the lower end of Boggy Swamp 
 and Black Swamp, however, the controlling feature in determining 
 the sizes of the ditches has been the method of construction rather 
 than the required capacity of the waterway. 
 
 Experience has shown that in heavily timbered lands such as these 
 the best type of machine to use is the floating dipper dredge; but 
 to float a machine of this kind frequently requires a larger ditch 
 than would be necessary to take care of the maximum run-off. In 
 lieu of the dredge the only practicable methods of construction will 
 be hand labor or explosives; by the former method a ditch of just 
 the required size could be constructed, but at a price per cubic yard 
 very much greater than for dredge work, so a ditch roughly two 
 and one half times the required size, provided it is no smaller than 
 the minimum dredge ditch, could be constructed by the dredge for 
 the same cost as by hand labor and in a much shorter time. The 
 construction of ditches with explosives is comparatively new, and 
 has met with varying degrees of success. It might be well to experi¬ 
 ment with this method on some of the smaller ditches, which are of 
 a size best adapted to its use. 
 
 The smallest ditch that can be constructed with a dipper dredge 
 of sufficient power to remove the stumps and sunken timbers is one 
 with a 14-foot bottom width, 6-foot depth, and side slopes | hori¬ 
 zontal to 1 vertical. Such a ditch would have a top width of 20 
 feet. However, to afford proper drainage the depths of the dredged 
 ditches should in this case be not less than 7 feet, and therefore 
 wherever in this report the phrase “minimum dredge ditchis 
 used it refers to a ditch with 14-foot bottom width, 7-foot depth, and 
 I to 1 side slopes. Ditches of this character are proposed for all of 
 the main tributary branches except* Hurricane Branch, Scott Swamp 
 No. 1, Ballifore Branch, Rose Hill Branch, Titi Branch, Causeys 
 Branch, Long Branch, and Lyas Bay, which streams are too short to 
 warrant putting in a dredge. On some of the tributaries the upper 
 mile of each ditch should be excavated by hand, as such channels will 
 have sufficient capacity and will cost considerably less than minimum 
 dredge ditches. The ditches to be constructed by hand labor, with 
 one, exception, are recommended to have 3-foot bottom widths, 
 5-foot depths, and J to 1 side slopes; such a ditch has an 8-foot top 
 width. This kind of ditch wiU be referred to in this report as a 
 “handmade ditch,’^ as all of the ditches not constructed vdth dredges 
 are recommended to be of this size except the upper end of Boggy 
 Swamp, which should be 6 feet deep. The excavation for a minimum 
 
DRAINAGE OF BLACK AND BOGGY SWAMPS, S. C. 
 
 11 
 
 dredge ditch, is 4.54 cubic yards per linear foot of channel, and for a 
 handmade ditch it is approximately 1 cubic yard per foot. 
 
 BERMS. 
 
 In order not to put undue weight on the ditch banks and to keep 
 the waste material from refilling the ditches, a clear berm of 8 feet 
 between the edge of the ditch and the toe of the spoil bank should 
 be left on each side of all the dredged channels, and similar berms 
 3 feet wide should be left along the handmade ditches. 
 
 RIGHT OF WAY. 
 
 It is necessary that a right of way be cleared through the swamps 
 for all the ditches and that it be purchased and owned by the drain¬ 
 age district. The width of the right of way should be determined 
 according to the bottom width of the ditch, since the depth of cut 
 does not vary greatly, as follows: For 3-foot ditch, 30-foot right of 
 way; for 14-foot ditch, 80-foot right of way; for 16 to 20 foot ditch, 
 90-foot right of way; for 22-foot ditch, 100-foot right of way; and for 
 28 to 30 foot ditch, 120-foot right of way. The improvements 
 recommended in this report will require a total of 1,043 acres right 
 of way. 
 
 It is suggested that an effort be made to secure easements for the 
 right of way instead of purchasing it, as has been done by some 
 drainage districts. Such easements give the district complete con¬ 
 trol of the land so long as it is used for drainage works; otherwise the 
 land reverts to the owner. 
 
 BRIDGES. 
 
 The State law requires that the drainage district construct aU 
 public highway bridges that are made necessary by the construc¬ 
 tion of a ditch. Steel bridges with concrete abutments are recom¬ 
 mended, although costing more than wooden structures, because 
 the cost of maintenance will be much less. In making the estimate 
 of cost, bridges have been included for all pubhc road crossings. It 
 is assumed that in most cases 30-foot bridges will be suitable for 
 ditches with 14-foot bases, and 15-foot bridges for ditehes with 
 3-foot bases. 
 
 IMPROVEMENTS IN BOGGY SWAMP WATERSHED. 
 
 Boggy Swamp is the longest stream in the district, and drains the 
 largest area. The swamp along the upper 2J miles of this stream is 
 not over 100 feet wide; then it increases to about one-half mile wide, 
 continuing so to the Orangeburg Koad. From there to the Morrison 
 Road it narrows to as little as 50 feet in places, having occasional 
 arms or branching bays. Between Morrison Road and Haskell 
 Baroney Swamp the width varies from 200 to 1,500 feet, averaging 
 
12 BULLETIN 114, U. S. DEPAKTMENT OF AGKICULTUKE. 
 
 about 500, and from a mile above Hamilton Ridge Road to the river 
 swamp the width is about 700 feet. The upper part of the drainage 
 area is comparatively well drained, and largely under cultivation. 
 It is rolling, with good fall to the swamp. Below the Orangeburg 
 Road the land is much flatter, with little fall to the swamp above the 
 Morrison Road, but with a break of 10 to 25 feet to the swamp level 
 below that road. The largest cultivated tracts are along the main 
 swamps where drainage is better than on higher land farther back. 
 The chief need of this section is better drainage channels to bring the 
 water to the main streams. 
 
 The proposed improvement in Boggy Swamp consists of a ditch 
 throughout the length of the swamp. (See figs. 2 and 3.) From sta¬ 
 tion 0, the upper end, to station 130, the ditch should be constructed 
 by hand labor, with 3-foot bottom width, 6-foot depth, and side 
 slopes J to 1, giving a top width of 9 feet. From station 130 
 to station 758, the lower end, the ditch is to bo constructed with a 
 floating dipper dredge. At the upper end of this portion there will 
 be a minimum dredge ditch, and the bottom width will gradually 
 increase to 30 feet at the lower end. The total fall in Boggy Swamp 
 is 100 feet, varying from 17 feet per mile at the upper end, to 1.8 feet 
 per mile at the lower end. (See fig. 3.) The Boggy Swamp ditch 
 is not carried on to the Savannah River Swamp, but ends about H 
 miles below the Hamilton Ridge Road. Below the end of the pro¬ 
 posed ditch the water will overflow the swamp, but the lands adjoin¬ 
 ing this portion of the swamp are much higher and will not bo dam¬ 
 aged, while the swamp itself is subject to overflow from the Savannah 
 River and wfll be of little value for agriculture. 
 
 The following table summarizes the data and hydraulic computa¬ 
 tions for the proposed Boggy Swamp ditch: 
 
 Table 1. —Data and computations for Boggy Swamp ditch. 
 • [Side slopes of ditch, J to 1.] 
 
 Stations. 
 
 Depth. 
 
 Bottom 
 
 width. 
 
 Fall. 
 
 Com¬ 
 
 puted 
 
 velocity. 
 
 Watershed. 
 
 Com¬ 
 
 puted 
 
 ditch 
 
 capacity. 
 
 From— 
 
 To— 
 
 Area. 
 
 Run-ofl. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Ft. per 
 
 Feet per 
 
 Feet per 
 
 
 Cu.ft. 
 
 Cu.ft. 
 
 
 
 Feet. 
 
 Feet. 
 
 foot. 
 
 mile. 
 
 second. 
 
 Acres. 
 
 per sec. 
 
 per sec. 
 
 00 
 
 40 
 
 6 
 
 3 
 
 0.00225 
 
 11.88 
 
 
 600 
 
 
 
 40 
 
 80 
 
 6 
 
 3 
 
 .00325 
 
 17.16 
 
 
 1,150 
 
 
 
 80 
 
 130 
 
 6 
 
 3 
 
 .00206 
 
 10.88 
 
 3.6 
 
 1,800 
 
 
 130 
 
 130 
 
 143 
 
 7 
 
 14 
 
 .00206 
 
 10.88 
 
 3.7 
 
 2,000 
 
 
 700 
 
 143 
 
 260 
 
 7 
 
 14' 
 
 .00051 
 
 2.69 
 
 2.9 
 
 3,300 
 
 
 360 
 
 260 
 
 355 
 
 7 
 
 14 
 
 .00171 
 
 9.03 
 
 5.15 
 
 4,175 
 
 
 630 
 
 355 
 
 423 
 
 7 
 
 14 
 
 .00171 
 
 9.03 
 
 5.15 
 
 8,000 
 
 
 630 
 
 423 
 
 440 
 
 7 
 
 14 
 
 .00171 
 
 9.03 
 
 5.15 
 
 14,800 
 
 620 
 
 630 
 
 440 
 
 531 
 
 7 
 
 20 
 
 .00087 
 
 4. 61 
 
 4.1 
 
 15,875 
 
 665 
 
 675 
 
 531 
 
 570 
 
 7 
 
 22 
 
 .00087 
 
 4. 61 
 
 4.15 
 
 17,025 
 
 715 
 
 740 
 
 570 
 
 628 
 
 7 
 
 24 
 
 .00087 
 
 4.61 
 
 4.25 
 
 19,850 
 
 835 
 
 815 
 
 628 
 
 660 
 
 7 
 
 28 
 
 .00087 
 
 4.61 
 
 4.35 
 
 29,475 
 
 930 
 
 960 
 
 660 
 
 758 
 
 7 
 
 30 
 
 .000.34 
 
 1.80 
 
 2.8 
 
 31,900 
 
 1,005 
 
 655 
 
DRAINAGE OF BLACK AND BOGGY SWAMPS, S. C. 
 
 13 
 
 The estimate of the amount of excavation for this ditch was com¬ 
 puted in 2,000-foot sections from the profile data secured. Six high¬ 
 way bridges will be required, three of 30 feet span, and one each of 
 15, 35, and 45 feet span. 
 
 Beaver Dam Branch No. 1 is the largest tributary of Boggy Swamp, 
 being about 8 miles long. It has numerous tributaries, in which small 
 ditches should be constructed. The sv/amp along this branch is very 
 narrow, except the portion southwest of Scotia, which is about 2,000 
 feet wide, and formerly was cultivated in rice. The upper portion 
 of the drainage area is rolling, and is practically aU under cultivation 
 except in the several bays. The lower part is much flatter and con¬ 
 tains large areas of flat woods which are badly in need of drainage. 
 The proposed improvements on Beaver Dam Branch No. 1 consist 
 of a handmade ditch for the upper 7,550 feet, above the Seaboard 
 Ah* Line Railway, and a minimum dredge ditch from the railroad 
 down to Boggy Swamp, a total length of 38,500 feet. The fall is 37 
 feet in 7.3 miles, or 5 feet to the mile, but very little of it occurs in 
 the upper mile. Two 30-foot highway bridges will be required. 
 
 Beaver Dam Branch No. 2 has a swamp that varies much in width, 
 from 100 feet in some places to a half-mile in others. The watershed 
 area comprises mostly good rolling land, much of which is under cul¬ 
 tivation at the present time, although there is a large area of flat 
 bays and ponds covered with a thick growth of timber. The pro¬ 
 posed improvements consist of a minimum dredge ditch for its whole 
 length of 25,420 feet, except the upper mile which should be a hand¬ 
 made ditch. The fall is about 35 feet in 5 miles. One 30-foot bridge 
 will be required. 
 
 Manigault Branch heads in a series of flats and ponds between 
 Shirley and Scotia, and joins Boggy Swamp where the swamps are sub¬ 
 ject to overflow from the Savannah River. For the first 2 miles, 
 in the flats and ponds, the swamp is about one-fourth mile wide, but 
 it narrows below the Augusta Road to about 100 feet, widening out 
 again lower down to about 500 feet. The watershed area of Mani¬ 
 gault Branch is for the most part fairly flat, with large stretches of 
 flat pine woods and a small percentage of land under cultivation. 
 The proposed improvements on this branch consist of a jninimum 
 dredge ditch 33,150 feet long. The fall in the upper 2 miles of the 
 branch is shght, but below Augusta Road it is 44 feet in 3.6 miles. 
 The lower mile of Manigault Branch is subject to overflow from the 
 Savannah River, and while it is not absolutely necessary that the 
 improvements extend down to Boggy Swamp, it is recommended that 
 they be carried to that point, as this will provide a better outlet 
 for the lands above. One 30-foot highway bridge will be needed. 
 
 MiU Branch Swamp, between the flat bay in which the branch rises 
 and Haskell Baroney Swamp, averages hardly more than 100 feet wide. 
 
14 
 
 BULLETIN 114, U. S. DEPABTMENT OF AGEICULTURE. 
 
 The fall on tliis branch amounts to 38 feet in 4.8 miles, or about 8 feet 
 to the mile. The watershed area is quite rolling, with marked differ¬ 
 ences in elevation between the highlands and the bays, and nearly 
 all of the former are now under cultivation. The proposed improve¬ 
 ments on this branch consist of a handmade ditch for the 6,700 feet 
 above the Mill Koad, and the minimum dredge ditch for the remainder 
 of the 25,240 feet total length. Two 30-foot bridges will be required. 
 
 The Savannas lie in the flattest section of the district, nearest the 
 Savaimah River. The area drained, except that tributary to Rum 
 Branch, is extremely flat for the most part, being composed almost 
 entirely of flat swamp covered with an excellent growth of timber. 
 The soil is very rich and could be converted into valuable farm 
 land. The Savannas are several hundred feet wide, with no dis¬ 
 cernible channel or run. The vegetation in the upper part of this 
 swamp is quite different from that in the other branches, for the others 
 are covered with thick growths of timber and brush, while the 
 Savannas are comparatively open, having a thick growth of grass 
 and rushes about 3 feet high and only an occasional bush. The fall 
 in the Savannas is only 6 feet in 3.8 miles. The proposed improve¬ 
 ment consists of a dredge ditch of nadnimum section for the entire 
 length of 19,950 feet. No new bridges will be needed. 
 
 To prevent the occasional overflow from the Savannah River, the 
 breaks in the clay ridge on the west boundary of the district should 
 be closed by low dikes. The amount and cost of this work has not 
 been estimated. 
 
 Rum Branch drains an area consisting mostly of good rolling land 
 now under cultivation, but including Rogers Bay and several other 
 large bays. The upper end of the swamp along this branch is about 
 800 feet wide, but it soon narrows to about 100 feet, which width is 
 maintained for about 2 miles; below this the width becomes very 
 irregular. Neither the bays nor the lower end of the swamp is under 
 cultivation. The fall of this branch is ample for its whole length, 
 being 54.5 feet in 6.4 miles, or 8.5 feet to the mile. The proposed 
 improvements consist of a handmade ditch for the upper 5,400 feet 
 and a minimum dredge ditch through the remainder of the branch, 
 which has a total length of 34,200 feet. Two new 30-foot bridges will 
 be required. 
 
 Hurricane Branch drains about 1 square mile of fairly high and 
 slightly rolling ground, practically all under cultivation. The swamp 
 is very narrow the whole length of the branch. The fall amounts to 
 23.5 feet in 2.1 miles. There is at present a good ditch throughout 
 the length of Hurricane Branch, 4 to 10 feet in top width, 3 to 4 feet 
 in bottom width, and 2| to 6 feet deep. This ditch has a good flow 
 of water, but it could be improved by cleaning and straightening, 
 which improvements are the only ones recommended on this branch. 
 The length of the ditch is 11,150 feet. 
 
DKAINAGE OF BLACK AND BOGGY SWAMPS^ S. C. 
 
 15 
 
 IMPROVEMENTS IN BLACK SWAMP WATERSHED. 
 
 The watershed area of Black Swamp is comparatively flat^ except 
 the lower or southern portion, which is more rolling, with a good fall 
 toward the swamp. A large part of the fiat land is under cultiva¬ 
 tion, while the remainder is mostly fiat bays and ponds with a thick 
 covering of bushes and trees. 
 
 The swamp or wet land along this stream is 100 to 300 feet wide 
 for the first few miles below the source, then 400 to 600 feet for a few 
 miles, and finally reaches 800 to 1,000 feet width at the lower end. 
 There is no well-defined channel, and during wet seasons the entire 
 swamp is covered with water several feet deep. The growth in this 
 swamp is a thick, tangled mass of vines, briars, canes, and bushes, with 
 a fairly heavy growth of timber. The total fall is 79 feet, quite 
 sufficient to give good drainage to these lands, and for the greater 
 portion of the swamp it is quite uniform, as may be seen from the 
 profile (fig. 3). It varies from 12.5 feet per mile at the upper end to 
 1.3 feet per mile for a short distance at the lower end. 
 
 The proposed improvements on Black Swamp consist, as shown in 
 figures 2 and 3, of a dredge ditch starting at the Southern Bailway 
 just south of Furman and continuing down the swamp until overfiow 
 water from the Savannah River is encountered. This will require 
 a ditch about 10 miles long. The depth should be 7 feet, with side 
 slopes of to 1. The ditch should start with a 14-foot bottom width, 
 increasing to 30 feet. At the lower end the estimated capacity of 
 the ditch is less than the calculated run-off, and consequently some 
 fiooding is to be expected. No harm will result from this, however, 
 as the lower end of the swamp wifi be fiooded by exteme high water 
 in the Savannah River, and the lands bordering the swamp lie 15 to 20 
 feet above its level and have good natural drainage. The table 
 below summarizes the data and computations for the Black Swamp 
 ditch. 
 
 Table 2. —Data and computations for BlacJc Swamp ditch. 
 
 (Side slopes of ditch, J to 1.) 
 
 Station. 
 
 Depth. 
 
 Bottom 
 
 width. 
 
 Fall. 
 
 Com¬ 
 
 puted 
 
 velocity. 
 
 Watershed. 
 
 Com¬ 
 
 puted 
 
 ditch 
 
 capacity. 
 
 From— 
 
 To— 
 
 Area. 
 
 Run-off. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Feet per 
 
 Feet per 
 
 Feet per 
 
 
 Cu.f t. 
 
 Cu.ft. 
 
 
 
 Feet. 
 
 Feet. 
 
 foot. 
 
 mile. 
 
 second. 
 
 Acres. 
 
 per sec. 
 
 per sec. 
 
 00 
 
 80 
 
 7 
 
 14 
 
 0.00237 
 
 12.51 
 
 
 2,000 
 
 
 
 80 
 
 102 
 
 7 
 
 14 
 
 .00200 
 
 10.56 
 
 
 2,175 
 
 
 
 102 
 
 169 
 
 7 
 
 14 
 
 .00200 
 
 10.56 
 
 
 3'575 
 
 
 
 169 
 
 180 
 
 7 
 
 14 
 
 .00200 
 
 10.56 
 
 
 7'050 
 
 
 
 ISO 
 
 240 
 
 7 
 
 14 
 
 .00127 
 
 6.71 
 
 4.55 
 
 7', 850 
 
 
 555 
 
 240 
 
 299 
 
 7 
 
 14 
 
 .00127 
 
 6.71 
 
 4.55 
 
 10,775 
 
 453 
 
 555 
 
 299 
 
 320 
 
 7 
 
 14 
 
 .00127 
 
 6.71 
 
 4.55 
 
 12,600 
 
 529 
 
 555 
 
 320 
 
 339 
 
 7 
 
 16 
 
 .00095 
 
 5.02 
 
 4.1 
 
 12,9C0 
 
 542 
 
 560 
 
 339 
 
 407 
 
 7 
 
 20 
 
 .00095 
 
 5.02 
 
 4.3 
 
 16,650 
 
 700 
 
 710 
 
 407 
 
 432 
 
 7 
 
 22 
 
 .00095 
 
 5.02 
 
 4.35 
 
 17,425 
 
 732 
 
 775 
 
 432 
 
 460 
 
 7 
 
 22 
 
 .00095 
 
 5.02 
 
 4.35 
 
 17,925 
 
 753 
 
 775 
 
 460 
 
 526 
 
 7 
 
 30 
 
 .00023 
 
 1.31 
 
 2.4 
 
 18,500 
 
 777 
 
 565 
 
16 
 
 BULLETIN 114, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
 
 The estimate of material to he excavated for this ditch was cal- 
 cidated in 2,000-foot sections, from the profile data. Three highv/ay 
 bridges will be required at the points where the proposed ditch crosses 
 the public roads, one of 35 feet span and two of 30 feet. 
 
 WoK Bay lies in the flat woods section of the district. Only a 
 small part of the basin drained is under cultivation, the greater part 
 being flats and bays covered ivith timber and brush. It has two 
 forks, along both of which the swamp varies greatly in width but 
 averages about 300 feet. The fall on this branch, from the hea<l of 
 the east fork, is about 35 feet in 4.6 miles. The proposed improve¬ 
 ments on the east fork of this branch consist of a minimum dredge 
 ditch for its entire length of 24,250 feet, except that the upper mile 
 should be a handmade ditch, v/hile the west fork should have a 
 smaller ditch and is considered as lateral ditch No. 10. Four new 
 bridges will be required, one span of 15 feet and three of 30 feet. 
 
 Causeys Branch has two outlets, part of the water going direct to 
 Black Swamp through Shumans Bay and part flowing south through 
 Titi Branch. Most of the drainage area is rolling land under culti¬ 
 vation. The swamp along Causeys Branch is quite narrow at the 
 upper end, about 600 feet wide from the railway to Shumans Bay, 
 where it widens to about 1,000 feet, then it rapidly narrows before 
 reaching Black Swamp. The fall on the branch is comparatively 
 large, 44 feet in 3.3 miles, or 13.3 feet to the mile. It is proposed to 
 carry aU the water by the more direct route through Shumans Bay, 
 the improvement to consist of a handmade ditch throughout the 
 entire length of 18,425 feet. Two new 15-foot bridges will be needed. 
 
 Titi Branch drains an area largely under cultivation, with rather 
 rolhng topography and a good fall from the adjoining lands to the 
 branch. The swamp along this branch varies much in width, the 
 upper end and middle section being wide, while the lower end is 
 narrow. The fall on Titi Branch is quite large, amounting to 43 feet 
 m 3 miles. The improvement proposed for this branch consists of a 
 handmade ditch 16,275 feet long. One 15-foot bridge will be re- 
 
 Long Branch is the drainage outlet for a basm quite flat and 
 covered with timber at the upper end, but a little more rolling and 
 largely under cultivation at the lower end. The swamp along this 
 branch averages about 200 feet in width, and it has a fall of about 
 28 feet in 3.2 miles. The proposed improvement consists of a hand¬ 
 made ditch through the enthe branch, a distance of 17,900 feet. 
 Three 15-foot bridges will be required. 
 
 Lyas Bay drains good, roUing land, a large part of which is now 
 under cultivation. The swamp averages about 700 feet wide. The 
 proposed improvement is a handmade ditch 9,900 feet long, running 
 from the Southern Bailway southwest to the bay, thence through it 
 
DRAINAGE OF BLACK AND BOGGY SWAMPS^ S. C. 17 
 
 to Black Swamp. The fall will be 22 feet in 1.9 miles. Two 15-foot 
 bridges wiH be required. 
 
 Ballifore Branch heads in the flat woods southeast of Kobertville. 
 The watershed area is slightly rolling and is well under cultivation. 
 The swamp averages about 100 feet wide, and the fall on the branch 
 is 26 feet in 1.3 miles. The improvement proposed consists of a 
 handmade ditch for the entire length of 7,000 feet. One 15-foot 
 bridge will be required. 
 
 Rose Hill Branch drains an area that is fairly rolling, and a large 
 part of which is cultivated. The swamp along this branch is rather 
 wide at the upper end, but gradually decreases to not more than 50 
 feet at the lower end. The fall is about 16 feet to the mde. The 
 proposed improvement is a handmade ditch for the entire length of 
 7,600 feet. One 15-foot bridge will be required. 
 
 IMPROVEMENTS IN INDEPENDENT WATERSHEDS. 
 
 Church Branch joins Black Swamp outside the drainage district. 
 The upper end of the watershed area is quite flat and consists of open 
 pine woods and grass, but the lower end is very rolhng, with good 
 natural drainage; nearly all of the land is under cultivation. The 
 swamp along Church Branch is only 50 to 100 feet mde at the upper 
 end, but it gradually increases until at the lower end it is about 500 
 feet wide. The fall on this branch amounts to 40 feet in 3.9 miles. 
 The proposed improvement consists of a minimum dredge ditch 
 20,400 feet long. Five bridges of 30-foot span will be required. 
 
 Hog Branch joins King Branch and empties into the Pallachucolla 
 Savannas, finally reaching Black Swamp lower do^vn. The upper end 
 of the watershed is very flat, composed almost entirely of flat woods, 
 with occasional ponds and bays, all in timber. This section needs 
 drainage outlets badly, as water stands several inches deep on it for 
 long periods after heavy rains. The lower section of the watershed 
 is more rolling, and fair natural drainage is secured by reason of a 
 marked drop from the adjoining lands to the branch. A large portion 
 of this section is under cultivation. The swamp along Hog Branch is 
 very narrow at the upper end, but toward the lower end it widens to 
 about 300 feet. The total fall on this branch is 46.5 feet in 6.1 miles, 
 the slope increasing somewhat from the upper to the lower end. The 
 proposed improvement consists of a ditch throughout Hog Branch 
 and extending 2^ miles northward into the flat woods. The upper 
 mile will be a handmade ditch, and the remainder a dredge ditch of 
 minimum size, the total length being 32,150 feet. There is at present 
 in the branch a small ditch in fair condition, but so small that it has 
 not been considered in estimating the excavation. Two 30-foot 
 bridges will be needed. 
 
18 
 
 BULLETIN 114, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
 
 King Branch watershed consists of flat woods in the upper portion, 
 and rolhng land in the lower portion, which has fair natural drainage 
 and is mostly under cultivation. The swamp along Kong Branch, 
 like others in this part of the district, is narrow at the upper end and 
 gradually widens toward the outlet. The fall is 40 feet in 5.6 miles, 
 being greater at the lower end than at the upper. A minimum dredge 
 ditch is recommended below the Orangeburg Bo ad, and a handmade 
 ditch extending north for about 1 mile into the flat woods to give 
 those lands a drainage outlet. The ditch would have a total length 
 of 29,490 feet. Two 30-foot bridges will be required. 
 
 Scott Swamp No. 1 drains rolling land principally, and most of the 
 lower end of the area is cultivated. At the upper end the swamp is 
 wide and flat, but it narrows rapidly toward the outlet. The fall is 
 39 feet in 2.4 miles. The proposed improvement is a handmade ditch 
 12,700 feet long. An existing small ditch about a mile long in the 
 upper part of the swamp will reduce the necessary excavation by 
 about 1,000 cubic yards. Two 15-foot bridges will be needed. 
 
 LATERAL DITCHES. 
 
 In addition to the ditches that have been described, practically all 
 of which lie in the larger watercourses, 66 laterals should be con¬ 
 structed as indicated and numbered on the map (fig. 2). These wiU 
 extend out from the main channels at all the low places, to provide 
 drainage connection between the flat lands and the larger ditches. 
 Owing to the lack of machinery suitable for constructing small 
 ditches in wooded land, the laterals have been estimated as hand¬ 
 made ditches, 3 feet in bottom width, 5 feet deep, with to 1 side 
 slopes. The excavation has been computed as 1 cubic yard per linear 
 foot of ditch. Where these laterals are crossed by public roads 23 
 bridges will be required, each 15 feet long. The following table shows 
 the length and excavation for the lateral ditches: 
 
 Table 3. —Length and excavation for lateral ditches. 
 
 [Excavation=l cubic yard per linear foot of ditch.] 
 
 Lateral 
 
 No. 
 
 Tributary to— 
 
 Length and 
 excavation. 
 
 Lateral 
 
 No. 
 
 Tributary to— 
 
 Length and 
 excavation. 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 Boggy Swamp. 
 
 .do. 
 
 Ft. and cu. yds. 
 3,600 
 
 5.900 
 12,200 
 
 3,100 
 4,800 
 12,300 
 
 2.900 
 
 16 
 
 17 
 
 Boggy Swamp. 
 
 .do. 
 
 Ft.andcu.yds. 
 
 4.100 
 2,800 
 4,400 
 9,600 
 3,300 
 4,700 
 
 5.100 
 
 3 
 
 Beaver Dam No. 1. 
 
 18 
 
 .do... 
 
 4 
 
 .do... 
 
 19 
 
 Beaver Dam No. 2. 
 
 5 
 
 .do... 
 
 20 
 
 Rum Branch. 
 
 6 
 
 .do..... 
 
 21 
 
 .do. 
 
 Pm 
 
 ( 
 
 Lateral No. 6. 
 
 22 
 
 .do. 
 
 8 
 
 (Eliminated.) 
 
 23 
 
 Lateral No. 22. 
 
 2,100 
 
 9 
 
 Beaver Dam No. 1. 
 
 6,900 
 6,875 
 4,100 
 5,300 
 8,400 
 4,500 
 5,300 
 
 24 
 
 .do. 
 
 2,200 
 3,600 
 11,650 
 7,800 
 7,700 
 6,900 
 6,000 
 
 10 
 
 Wolf Bay. 
 
 25 
 
 Lateral No. 26. 
 
 11 
 
 Black Swamp. 
 
 26 
 
 Rum Branch. 
 
 12 
 
 .do... 
 
 27 
 
 ... .do. 
 
 13 
 
 Church Branch. 
 
 28 
 
 The Sav««nas. 
 
 14 
 
 Beaver Dam No. 1. 
 
 29 
 
 Rum Branch. 
 
 15 
 
 Beaver Dam No. 2. 
 
 30 
 
 Mill Branch. 
 
DRAINAGE OF BLACK AND BOGGY SWAMPS, S. C. 19 
 
 / 
 
 Table 3, —Length and excavation for lateral ditches —Continued. 
 
 Lateral 
 
 No. 
 
 Tributary to— 
 
 31 
 
 32 
 
 33 
 
 34 
 
 35 
 
 36 
 
 37 
 
 38 
 
 39 
 
 40 
 
 41 
 
 42 
 
 43 
 
 44 
 
 45 
 
 46 
 
 47 
 
 48 
 
 49 
 60 
 
 The Savannas. 
 Bog^ Swamp. 
 
 _do. 
 
 Manigault Branch 
 
 King Branch. 
 
 Manigault Branch 
 
 Independent. 
 
 Causeys Branch... 
 
 Titi Branch. 
 
 Black Swamp. 
 
 _do. 
 
 _do. 
 
 lyong Branch. 
 
 Black Swamp. 
 
 .do. 
 
 Lateral No. 46_ 
 
 Black Swamp. 
 
 Church Branch_ 
 
 Lateral No. 49- 
 
 Length and 
 excavation. 
 
 Lateral 
 
 No. 
 
 Tributary to— 
 
 Length and 
 excavation. 
 
 Ft. andcu. yds. 
 7,200 
 
 51 
 
 Black Swamp. 
 
 Ft.andcu.yds. 
 
 2,800 
 
 4,700 
 
 52 
 
 Independent. 
 
 3,900 
 
 5,150 
 
 53 
 
 .do. 
 
 8,000 
 
 15,200 
 
 54 
 
 Titi Branch. 
 
 2,500 
 
 8,800 
 
 55 
 
 Beaver Dam No. 1. 
 
 4,200 
 
 3,900 
 
 7,000 
 
 56 
 
 Wolf Bay. 
 
 3,200 
 
 4,000 
 
 57 
 
 Black Swamp. 
 
 5,400 
 
 58 
 
 Hog Branch. 
 
 3,000 
 
 3,900 
 
 59 
 
 Lateral No. 30. 
 
 8,300 
 
 7,200 
 
 60 
 
 Manigault Branch. 
 
 5,850 
 
 6,200 
 
 61 
 
 Lateral No. 37. 
 
 3,000 
 
 4,900 
 
 62 
 
 Lateral No. 38. 
 
 3,900 
 
 7,200 
 
 63 
 
 .do.:. 
 
 2,750 
 
 4,900 
 
 64 
 
 Boggy Swamp. 
 
 6,000 
 
 8,300 
 
 65 
 
 Lateral No. 64. 
 
 1,300 
 
 7,050 
 
 66 
 
 Mill Branch. 
 
 2,300 
 
 2,900 
 
 67 
 
 Black Swamp.4, 
 
 2,950 
 
 2,900 
 
 8,000 
 
 3,000 
 
 
 Total. 
 
 359,475 
 
 ESTIMATE OF COST. 
 
 Giving to tlie arrangement of the swamps and branches in Black 
 and Boggy Swamps drainage district the excavation will necessarily 
 be slow, as the dredges will have to be rebuilt several times. The 
 cost of excavation by dredge in the two main swamps has been esti¬ 
 mated at 8 cents per cubic yard and in the tributaries at 10 cents 
 per cubic yard. These figures are based on contracts in different 
 localities, where conditions are similar to those in this district. The 
 handwork has been estimated at 25 cents per cubic yard. The cost 
 of clearing the right of way is included in the unit price for excava¬ 
 tion; the purchase cost has been estimated at $10 per acre. Bridges 
 have been estimated at $20 per foot of span, plus $200. A summa¬ 
 rized estimate of the costs for the whole district is given in the fol¬ 
 lowing table: 
 
 Table 4. —-Summary of cost data. 
 
 BOGGY SWAMP WATERSHED. 
 
 Ditch. 
 
 Excavation. 
 
 Bridges. 
 
 Right of 
 way, at 
 $10 per 
 acre. 
 
 Engi¬ 
 neering 
 and legal, 
 at 10 
 per cent. 
 
 Total 
 
 Cubic 
 yards, at 
 "8 cents. 
 
 Cubic 
 yards, at 
 10 cents. 
 
 Cubic 
 yards, at 
 25 cents. 
 
 Cost. 
 
 Boggy Swamp. 
 
 Beaver Dam No. 1. 
 
 Beaver Dam No. 2. 
 
 Manigault Branch. 
 
 Mill Branch. 
 
 The Savannas. 
 
 369,540 
 
 140,510 
 91,440 
 150,500 
 84,170 
 90,570 
 130, 750 
 : and straig 
 
 9,440 
 7,550 
 5,280 
 
 6,700 
 
 $31,923 
 15,939 
 10,464 
 15,050 
 10,092 
 9,057 
 14,425 
 1,050 
 55,762 
 
 $4,900 
 1,600 
 800 
 800 
 1,600 
 
 $1,430 
 
 620 
 
 410 
 
 610 
 
 390 
 
 370 
 
 570 
 
 80 
 
 1,540 
 
 $3,825 
 1,816 
 1,167 
 1,646 
 1,208 
 943 
 1,660 
 113 
 6,280 
 
 $42,078 
 19,975 
 12,841 
 18,106 
 13,290 
 10,370 
 18,255 
 1,243 
 69,082 
 
 Rum Branch. 
 
 Hurricane Branch. 
 
 Laterals (38). 
 
 Total for Boggy 
 Swamp water¬ 
 shed . 
 
 (Cleaning 
 
 5,400 
 
 htening.) 
 
 223,050 
 
 1,600 
 
 5,500 
 
 
 
 
 163,762 
 
 16,800 
 
 6,020 
 
 18,658 
 
 205,240 
 
 
 1 
 
 
20 
 
 BULLETIN 114, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
 
 Table 4. — Summary of cost data — Continued. 
 BLACK SWAMP WATERSHED. 
 
 Ditch. 
 
 Excavation. 
 
 Bridges. 
 
 Right of 
 way, at 
 $10 per 
 acre. 
 
 Engi¬ 
 neering 
 and legal, 
 at 10 
 per cent. 
 
 Total. 
 
 Cubic 
 yards, at 
 8 cents. 
 
 Cubic 
 3 "ards, at 
 10 cents. 
 
 Cubic 
 yards, at 
 25 cents. 
 
 Cost. 
 
 Black Swamp. 
 
 Wolf Bay. 
 
 Causeys Branch. 
 
 Titi Branch. 
 
 Long Branch. 
 
 Lyas Bay. 
 
 Ballifore Branch. 
 
 Rose Hill Branch. 
 
 Laterals (18). 
 
 Total for Black 
 Swamp water¬ 
 shed . 
 
 261,170 
 
 . 
 
 . 
 
 • 
 
 86,120 
 
 5,280 
 18,425 
 16,275 
 17,900 
 9,900 
 7,000 
 7, COO 
 86,175 
 
 $20,894 
 
 9,932 
 
 4,606 
 
 4,069 
 
 4.475 
 
 2.475 
 1,750 
 1,900 
 
 21,544 
 
 $2,500 
 2,900 
 1,000 
 500 
 1,500 
 1,000 
 500 
 500 
 5,000 
 
 $1,070 
 
 390 
 
 130 
 
 no 
 
 120 
 
 70 
 
 50 
 
 50 
 
 590 
 
 $2,446 
 1,322 
 574 
 468 
 610 
 355 
 230 
 245 
 2,713 
 
 $26,910 
 14,544 
 6,310 
 5,147 
 6,705 
 3,900 
 2,530 
 2,695 
 29,847 
 
 
 
 
 71,645 
 
 . 15,400 
 
 2,580 
 
 8,963 
 
 98,588 
 
 
 
 
 
 INDEPENDENT WATERSHEDS. 
 
 Chmch Branch. 
 
 Hog Branch. 
 
 King Branch. 
 
 Scott Swamp No. 1. 
 
 Laterals (10). 
 
 Total for inde¬ 
 pendent water¬ 
 sheds . 
 
 
 92,620 
 121,990 
 109,910 
 
 5,280 
 
 5,280 
 
 11,700 
 
 50,250 
 
 $9,262 
 13,519 
 12,311 
 2,925 
 12,562 
 
 $4,000 
 
 1,600 
 
 1,600 
 
 1,000 
 
 1,000 
 
 $380 
 
 530 
 
 480 
 
 90 
 
 350 
 
 $1,364 
 
 1,585 
 
 1,439 
 
 402 
 
 1,391 
 
 $15,006 
 
 17,214 
 
 15,830 
 
 4,417 
 
 15,303 
 
 
 
 
 50,579 
 
 9,200 
 
 1,830 
 
 6,161 
 
 67,770 
 
 
 
 
 
 Total for the drainage district, $371,598. 
 Number of acres in district, 67,642. 
 Average cost per acre, $5.50. 
 
 The total cost of the 66 lateral ditches has been estimated above 
 as $114,232. Omitting these, the cost of ditching only the two main 
 swamps and the principal tributaries would be, as estimated, $257,366, 
 or $3.80 per acre. It is strongly recommended, however, that the 
 laterals be constructed, as well as the main ditches. 
 
 MAINTENANCE. 
 
 Not much work should be required to keep the ditches in condition 
 after they are constructed. The velocity of flow due to large fall in 
 most of the ditches will assist materially in keeping down the growth 
 of. vegetation in the channels. However, an organized method of 
 inspection should be adopted in the district whereby each ditch vill 
 be examined at least once each year, preferably just before the rainy 
 season. Any obstructions should be removed and any damage to the 
 ditches should be repaired as soon as noted. If maintenance work is 
 given prompt attention, the defects can be remedied with compara¬ 
 tively httle expense; but if it is neglected, the task v/ill become a 
 formidable one, and in the meantime the efficiency of the drainage 
 system will be reduced. 
 
DRAINAGE OF BLACK AND BOGGY SWAMPS, S. C. 
 
 21 
 
 CONCLUSIONS. 
 
 Anyone who is at all familiar with the agricultural conditions 
 existing in the Black and Boggy Swamps drainage district at the 
 time this survey was made, could not but be impressed with the 
 need for artificial drainage. Large areas cf land are at present 
 }fielding no revenue whatever, yet all apparently have such natural 
 qualities as would make them excellent farming lands if they could bo 
 relieved of excess water. The plans presented in this report provide 
 for such relief, which should be secured at an average cost of about 
 S5.50 per acre and would be worth many times that amount, although 
 to realize the fullest possibilities of the soil in many parts of the dis¬ 
 trict tile drainage also should be installed. The ditches have been 
 designed of ample depth to serve as outlets for the tile drains. 
 
 Besides the financial advantage cf increased crop production due 
 to drainage, there is the benefit to the general health cf the commu¬ 
 nity, which is none the less real and important because it is less 
 easily measured in money values. The decrease of malaria, which 
 now exists in certain parts of the district, by removing the breeding 
 places of mosquitoes, will make those parts more desirable for resi¬ 
 dence and thereby add to their commercial value. 
 
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 A’ASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
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