Photograph of R. T. Douglas and his field. The back of the photograph proclaims, “Pig weeds grow on fertile land where I planted corn twice this year,” says R. T. Douglas. “My fist planting washed out and the second planting had just started growing when this field was flooded a second time, I’ve got about 75 acres on which there will be a total crop loss this year. If my new drainage system had been completed in time I expect I’d have made 40 bushels of corner per acre here from the first planting.”

Photograph of furniture in front of the W. H. Stubbs home. During recent flood, water was approximately 3 feet deep in the house. Stubbs’ loss was listed as follows: crops destroyed: 20 acres of sweet corn, 80 acres of filed corn, 15 acres of green beans, 10 acres of spinach, 9 acres of sweet potatoes, 2 acres of cantaloupes and watermelons. Livestock lost: 29 hogs and pigs, 2 cows, and 2 horses. Also lost includes $350 worth of seed, 540 gallons of gasoline for the tractor, 50 gallons of motor oil, 1 planter, 1 cultivator, 1 section harrow. An irrigation system costing $600 to replace was also destroyed. Residence damage was $1200. The furniture damage was $1500. OK-8531.

Photograph of the temporary repair in the levee of a drainage ditch that was clogged with silt and sand washed from the adjoining farm land during a recent heavy rains, contributed to record-breaking floods in OK and AR. The levee broke in four places. Joe Preston, administrative assistant, State Soil Conservation Committee is standing on the repaired break. In the center foreground H. M. Chambers, State Conservationist for the Soil Conservation Service, stands near the bottom of the ditch which has now silted up to a level above fields is seen in the background. OK-8524.

Photograph of Harry N. Chambers, OK State Conservationist is shown with his foot on top of fence post nearly buried in sand and silt deposited during the record breaking floods along the Canadian River between May 10 and May 26, 1943. From lands shown in the background were once operated as a nursery by the Soil Conservation Service. OK-8538.

Photograph of Clarence Dye, aged 10, fishing off a culvert on Hwy 64 following recent record-breaking floods. This drainage-way is ordinarily dry. With flood water still on a part of his land, Mr. W. L. Cotner is seen in the background with his team replanting the 100 acres of corn, cotton, and vegetables destroyed when the levee broke. determined to produce his share of war crops this year, he returned to the field the first day possible--Memorial Day Sunday [when Memorial Day was celebrated on May 30, from 1868 to 1970]. OK-8526.

Photograph of Class I land. Lonoke very fine sandy loam on a slope less than 1 percent. OK-8500.

Photograph of Class III land. Bowie very fine sandy loam, terraced and farmed on the contour.

Photograph of Class VII, badly eroded and gullied, formerly cultivated land. This should be planted to trees. OK-8494.

Photograph of a Bay City crane placing a key wall for the support of riprap. The crane is working on berm at elevation 934.0. Note the depth of the trench for the key wall and the size of the rock. This view was taken at Station 28 of Lake Carl Blackwell, in Stillwater. OK-8485.

Photograph of Class II land. Terraces on San Saba Clay. OK-8503

Photograph of some of the very few virgin pine trees still in existence in the Kiamichi Soil Conservation Distict. OK-8506.

Photograph of class II land. Lonoke silty clay loam showing row directions for simple drainage. OK-8501.

Photograph of two acre Bermuda grass pasture strip developed from a badly gullied draw. The draw was sloped and sodded in 1938 and now provides grazing at the rate of 1 unit per acre and serves as an outlet channel for 70 acres of terraced and cultivated land. Mr. Fred Bunch states that this pasture strip furnishes better grazing than any of his 28 acres of native pasture on this 160 acre farm. He also states that his soil conservation practices have increased by $1,000 the value of this farm. Terraces were built with the assistance of the old Sentinel Civilian Conservation Corps [CCC] Camp. OK-8467. Meadow development. In the spring of 1940 this 60 acre abandoned, cultivated field was planted to sericea lespedeza. There was formerly a shoulder deep gully where the man I standing and numerous smaller ones covered the area. This year Mr. George Stainer has made one cutting for hay that yielded a ton per acre. It has been heavily grazed since then and another hay crop could be cut immediately (the estimated yield is 1 ton per acre). OK-8628.

Photograph of the harvesting of hay from Sericea lespedeza grass planted on April 16, 1942. The first cutting was made in June 4, 1943, making 15 tons off of 16 acres. Ok-8566.

Photograph of mowing a Johnson Grass Meadow. A 27 acre bottomland field that is subject to overflow. “From May 1 to July 10 I had 34 head of beef stock on this grass,” said Earl Fish, “and the last of July, I got a hay crop that yielded at least a ton to the acre. I let the stock stay on the grass until about August 5 and I am now getting my second hay crop. I expect to make about ½ ton per acre this cutting, put the stock back to grazing and leave them until the first frost, probably in the middle of October. During the entire grazing period the stock have had access to about 30 acres of native grass on the hill, but they would only go up there at night for the cool breeze. No matter how early in the morning, I’d get out to the bottom land, the cows would already be there grazing and they’d stay on the Johnson grass all day.” OK-8596.

Photograph of H. H. Bannett, chief of Soil Conservation Service shows Elmer T. Peterson, Associate Editor of the Daily Oklahoma, the depth of sand and silt deposited on the highway during record breaking flood occuring from May 10 to 28, 1943, along the Arkansas River. Webbers falls, a town of 400 was evacuated twice during the flood. OK-8537.

Photograph of H. H. Bannett, chief of Soil Conservation Service looks at grass and other debris suspended on telephone wires during record-breaking floods during May, 2013, on the Arkansas River. Flood waters were 14 feet deep over the permanent at this location. OK-8535.

Photograph of P.S. Hurd, Chairman, Board of Supervisors, Arkansas Verdigris's Soil Conservation District [SCD] and H. H. Bennett, Chief of the Soil Conservation Service examine some native little bluestem in the 12 acre meadow of the C.B. Ritberger farm. This meadow land is contributing a large amount of run-off to streams was formerly waste before Ritberger developed it under a plan worked out with the aid of technicians of the Soil Conservation Service assigned to assist the district. Grass today is helping to hold most of the rain on the land. OK-8548.

Photograph of H.H. Bennett, chief of the Soil Conservation Service, left, and Elmer T. Peterson, Associate Editor, Daily Oklahoman, look over flood damage at Webbers Falls, OK. J. P. Turner, owner of rock home, left background, stated that from 6 to 36 inches of silt and sand were deposited over 24 acres of alfalfa, spinach and cotton growing in a field adjoining his home. He stated that silt deposits broke 2 drainage ditches in the town. He stated Webbers Falls was evacuated twice in the spring of 1943 between May 10 and May 28 as a result of record-breaking floods along the Arkansas River. Large deposits of silt and sand were deposited in fields and along the highway in this vicinity. OK-8536.

Photograph of Harry N. Chambers, State Conservationist, Soil Conservation Service, stands on the edge of US Hwy 64, leading out of Webbers Falls and is reviewing damage done to the fences and silt and sand deposited on farm land during the recent floods that occurred between May 10 and 28, 1943. The town of Webbers falls was evacuated twice. The home in the background is on the edge of Webbers Falls. Note the drift collected on the fence. OK-8545.

Photograph from L to R: W. L. Cotner; H. H Bennett, Chief, Soil Conservation Service [SCS]; and Elmer T. Peterson, of the Daily Oklahoma staff. These men are examining the silt and sand deposited by flood wates from the adjoining drainage ditch that broke in four places during recent heavy rains. One hundred acres of corn, cotton and vegetables were ruined by floods on this farm. Deposits of sterile sand a foot deep in some places are deposited on several acres of fertile farm land. OK-8525.

Photograph of bay city crane placing key wall for the support of riprap. Crane is working on a bern at elevation 934.0. Note the depth of trench for key wall and size of rock. This view taken at Station 28 - 00. OK-8485.

Photograph looking south along the face of a dam. Kay wall for support of riprap being constructed. Wall in place from siphons about station 28 - 00 to about Station 39 - 00. OK-8488.

Photograph of farm land cover with sand and silt deposited during record breaking floods along the Canadian River between May 10 and May 28, 1943. OK-8540.