Agraria Journal Winter 2021

A Holistic Approach to Water Control BY MEGAN BACHMAN It’s safe to say that no one in our organization’s history knew as much about water as our founder, Arthur E. Morgan. A self-taught hydrologist, Morgan’s early 20th century flood control projects were ambitious, innovative and enduring. He approached water management by solving for the whole watershed, with conservation and resilience at the forefront of his mind. Morgan came to Dayton a few years after the catastrophic and traumatizing 1913 flood. The flood killed 400 people and caused $100 million damage ($2 billion in today’s dollars), and, at the time, it was Ohio’s worst natural disaster. Morgan reportedly swayed the committee that hired him because of his reluctance to give them a solution before investigating the situation. He was also a rising star in the field of civil engineering, having, at the age of 26, written the drainage laws for the state of Minnesota, which had no prior standards. Morgan’s plan to protect Dayton combined both legal and engineering advancements. Instead of one massive reservoir, he designed multiple dams on multiple streams. Instead of complex machinery that could break down, the dams had no moving parts. Instead of concrete retaining walls, he favored earthen dams. The rivers kept their natural flow, and the dams only held back water during flood periods. Taken together, the system was far more resilient, and sustainable for the long haul. It’s protected Dayton for nearly 100 years. Because solving a watershed- wide problem took watershed-wide collaboration among different jurisdictions, Morgan innovated the concept of a conservancy district, leading to the passage of the Ohio Conservancy Act. The Miami Conservancy District became the first legal entity of its kind and the model for similar districts across the country. Local control was retained, which led to another benefit. Although there was pressure to sell the property around the dams to developers, Morgan pushed to keep much of the land in a natural state. Today those nature preserves are managed by Five Rivers Metroparks. Finally, Morgan considered the well-being of those constructing the dams, as much for humanitarian reasons as for the benefits to the quality of work they would produce. He designed model communities to house construction workers at the dam sites, with community halls, schools and libraries. Many of these Dayton innovations would be replicated when Morgan chaired the Tennessee Valley Authority, from 1933–38. An Antioch College colleague, JD Dawson, summarized Morgan’s approach to flood control well: “Arthur Morgan has combined the utilitarian concern for preventing flood damage with human values, aesthetic consideration, economic use of resources and the needs of ecology.” In October, Agraria partnered with Antioch College to put on the Arthur Morgan Legacy Conference. Learn more about Morgan’s innovative ideas in the fields of progressive education, local economics, land trusts, intentional community, flood control engineering and more by watching the conference videos at our YouTube page: www.youtube. com/c/AgrariaCenterFor RegenerativePractice “Always consider the whole.” — Arthur E. Morgan 28 AGRARIA JOURNAL 2021 PHOTO COURTESY OF ANTIOCHIANA, ANTIOCH COLLEGE Arthur E. Morgan stands along Birch Creek in Glen Helen, just below the Cascades.