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Table of Contents
Introduction
The Flood Control Collection contains materials on the subjects of flood events, flood control, erosion by water, and storm water management. The materials span the years 1910 to 1979, with the bulk produced between 1938 and 1953. The materials are in fair to good condition. Researchers may use the collection without restrictions.
The National Agricultural Library’s Special Collections received the materials in Box 1 from an unknown source prior to 2002. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office in Portland, Oregon transferred additional materials to Special Collections in 2017. The original collection was arranged and described by Jennifer Wang in 2002. The addition was incorporated into the collection in 2018 by Diane Wunsch.
Historical Note
On April 27, 1935, Congress established the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) as a permanent agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The creation of the agency highlighted the efforts of Hugh Hammond Bennett to inform the public about the problem of soil erosion. Bennett was appointed the first Chief of SCS.
Watershed planning became an important part of the agency’s mission in the 1930s. Bennett recognized that successful soil and water conservation needed to begin at the watershed level. SCS organized its early demonstration projects on a watershed scale.
A series of laws formed the basis of SCS erosion control programs. The Flood Control Act of 1936 authorized SCS to study methods for erosion control and flood prevention. The Flood Control Act of 1944 enabled the agency to begin work on its first 11 watershed projects. Passage of the Agricultural Appropriations Act of 1953 authorized 63 more projects. Congress enacted the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act in 1954. With this law, SCS gained permanent watershed planning authority.
In 1994, SCS was renamed the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Scope and Content Note
The Flood Control Collection contains reports, publications, correspondence, notes, photographs, audio recordings, maps, and data regarding floods and flood control in the United States. The USDA Soil Conservation Service produced most of these items. There are a few pieces authored by other individuals and agencies. The collection also includes articles and addresses written for professional organizations, such as the American Society of Agricultural Engineers and the Society of American Foresters.
Container List
| Box | Title/Description | Date(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Correspondence from Harold B. Elmendorf to Robert V. Boyle concerning control of Phreatophytes | 1947 |
| 1 | Reports on flood control and erosion control | 1910-1958 |
| 1 | Community forests, lists by state | Undated |
| 1 | Translation of “Pressure Flow of Ground Water Carrying Fine Sandy and Clayey Particles” by A. N. Patrashev | 1936 |
| 1 | Articles on floods and flood control | 1937-1972 |
| 1 | Flood Regulation and Silt Control on the Silver Creek Floodway | 1936 |
| 1 | An Evaluation of Small Upland Reservoirs for Flood Control Purposes | Undated |
| 1 | Graphical Flood Routing and Related Mechanical Analogs | 1955 |
| 1 | Hydraulics of Miami Flood Control Project | 1920 |
| 1 | Strip Planting for Flood Control” | 1940 |
| 1 | Forest Water Yield Management Opportunities | 1965 |
| 1 | Notes from “A National Plan for American Forestry.” 73rd Congress, 1st Session. | Undated |
| 1 | A Comparison of Lysimeter-Derived Potential Evapotranspiration with Computed Values, with related correspondence | 1970-1971 |
| 2 | Los Angeles County Flood Control District report on flood of March 2, 1938 | 1938 |
| 2 | Special Report on Flood of March 2, 1938, in Region 10, Southern California | 1938 |
| 2 | Flood Control Work Plan, Area A7, Santa Ynez River, California | 1946 |
| 2 | Partial Report of Survey on Run-off and Waterflow Retardation and Soil Erosion Prevention for Arroyo Seco Watershed, Los Angeles River Drainage | Undated |
| 3 | Preliminary Examination Report, Santa Ynez River | 1940 |
| 3 | Santa Ynez River Watershed, California Flood Control Work Plans, Area A3b | 1948 |
| 3 | Appendix I (of two) Special Flood Control Report: Los Angeles, San Gabriel, Santa Ana Rivers, California | 1938 |
| 3 | Field Trip through Flooded Areas of Sacramento Valley | 1940 |
| 3 | Pictures Relating to Flood Conditions in Southern California | 1938 |
| 3 | Santa Ynez River subwatershed flood control work plans | 1947-1953 |
| 4 | San Gabriel River reports | 1940-1953 |
| 4 | Preliminary Examination Report, Kaweah-Tule River Group, Tributary to Sacramento and San Joaquin River Valleys | 1939 |
| 4 | Las Posas Project Monograph | 1939 |
| 4 | Special Storm Report, Los Angeles River Watershed | 1952 |
| 5 | Annual Runoff in the United States | 1949 |
| 5 | Summary Report of the Snow Investigations: Snow Hydrology | 1956 |
| 5 | News clippings about Duchesne River (Utah) flood | 1963 |
| 5 | Reports and map of flood in Southern California, March 1938 | 1938 |
| 5 | Voices of Conservation (phonograph records and audio compact disc) | 1971-1979, undated |