S.C.H November 1971
A survey of modern sediment, accumulated during the period of agriculturally-accelerated soil erosion, was made in 1939-41 in the Galena River Valley, Wisconsin and Illinois, by the Stream and Valley Research Section of the Soil Conservation Service. Dr. S. C. Adams, then a graduate student at the University of Iowa (now Professor of Geology, Hanover College) was employed intermittently to measure sediment depths by auger borings, map the surface extent, and collect samples for laboratory studies. Professor A.C. Trowbridge advised the project as official Collaborator, and S. C. Happ directed the work for the S.C.S.
Ground line surveys were made on 37 valley cross-section ranges in the main valley, and 3 each in 4 principal tributaries, by W. F. Witzgall, of the S.C.S. He also resurveyed sections beneath 8 old railroad bridges. Gordon Rittenhouse and E. H. Moser, of S.C.S, also participated in the surveys.
Notebook records of the range surveys are filed in the National Archives in part I (Stream and Valley Notebooks) of "Records of Sedimentation Studies accessioned by the National Archives April, 1947, Job No. 447-126."
Several watershed maps, and a tracing of the plotted profiles with results of borings, are stored in a map case in Bay A-236 in the attic of the Agriculture Department South Building, Washington, D.C. Photostat copies of some of the field notebooks were also in the map file in 1963.
Most of the other project files are now in custody of the State Conservationist, Soil Conservation Service, 4601 Hammersley Road, Madison, Wisconsin. They include photostat negatives of Adams' original field books, with the record of borings for measurement of sediment depths. Missing, however, are airphotos on which the range locations were marked. Those were removed by Gunnar Brune while the files were in the former S.C.S Regional Office at Milwaukee. Mr. Brune does not remember where he left the airphotos, or for what purpose they were used. Presumably they may be among files now consolidated in the S.C.S Regional Office at Lincoln, Nebraska, but inquiry to that office has been unsuccessful.
Copies of most of the project data, but not of original notebooks, are also in custody of S. C. Happ at the USDA Sedimentation Laboratory, Oxford, Mississippi.
Approximate range locations have been marked on topographic maps (of which copies have been made for Vigil Network files), from the following sources:
(1) Copies of the Galena and Mineral Point quadrangle topographic maps, on which ranges were marked roughly in pencil for field use by S. C. Happ. The locations are believed to have been marked largely from memory, without careful scaling of measured distances. The Mineral Point map, surveyed in 1900-1904 with scale of 1:125,000, appears inaccurate in many details, so that there is considerable uncertainty about transfer of locations to newer maps, scale 1:24,000.
(2) A planimetric map prepared for Dr. Adam's report, on which ranges were marked and can be located by scaling from section lines, stream bends or junctions, or railroad bridges. The base for this map was traced from the topographic quadrangles, but appears to show many small discrepancies. Reference points are therefore even more uncertain than for Happ's maps, although range locations are believed to have been marked more carefully.
(3) Locations of East Fork #2, and Hughiett Branch #1 and #2 ranges, are shown on airphotos which are still in the project files.
Alternate range locations have been marked on the maps, in cases where there are significant differences between the different sources. Alternate locations taken only from Adam's map are marked "A" on the new maps, and those taken only from airphotos are marked "P". All others are taken from Happ's maps, or represent consensus of the two or three sources.
An unfinished planimetric watershed tracing, in the Washington map file, also shows location of ranges 34.B (probably = 33), 35 and 37, but has not been available for use in compiling the maps for Vigil files.
The approximate locations plotted on maps for the Vigil files are believed adequate as a basis for field search, by which precise range locations may be found from local reference points described in the original notebook records. Elevations and locations were marked by nails or other suitable temporary bench marks near each end of the ranges. It was intended that 1 1/2 inch iron pipes also be set at each end, but it is not now known how many such pipes were actually set. Field search will thus be necessary to determine how many of the ranges can be recovered as a basis for future resurveys.
The Rock Island District, Army Corps of Engineers, also has established many cross-sections in the lower few miles of the Galena River Valley, in connection with navigation and flood control surveys, and has used such data in studies of the sedimentation problem in that part of the valley.
Ranges on New Diggings Branch and Kelsey Branch were used for boring, but probably not surveyed or marked by iron pipes.
References
Adams, Clifford. Mine Waste as a Source of Galena River Bed Sediment. Journal of Geology, vol. 52, No. 4, pp. 275-282, 1944.
Adams, Clifford. Modern Sedimentation in the Galena River Valley, Illinois and Wisconsin. Master's Thesis, Dept. of Geology, State University of Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa). 1940.
Adams, Clifford. Accelerated Sedimentation in the Galena River Valley, Illinois and Wisconsin. Doctoral dissertation, Dept. of Geology, State University of Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa), 67 p., May 1942.
Happ, Stafford C. Sedimentation Survey of Galena River Valley, Wisconsin- Illinois. Preliminary Report, Sedimentation Division, Soil Conservation Service, Washington, D.C., 8 p., May 14, 1940.
War Dept., Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District. Definite Project Report, Galena River, Local Flood Protection at Galena, Illinois. Appendix IV, Sedimentation, 14 p., Rock Island, Illinois, 30 June, 1947.
Witzgall, W. F. Re-Surveys of Railroad Bridge Sections, Galena River, Wisconsin-Illinois. Office Report, Soil Conservation Service, Sedimentation Research, Stream and Valley Section, Washington, D.C., 2p., January 11, 1940.
Negative numbers of Happ's photographs in Washington Soil Conservation Service files, showing Galena valley sedimentation conditions in 1939-40: 8970, 8986, 8987, 8988, 8989, 8990, 8991, 8997, 8998, 8999, WR-10-202, WR-10-203, WR-10-204, WR-10-205, WR-10-206, WR-10-207.