Before dawn, Rhodes woke up from a light sleep. The gray morning light shone through the cracks in the tent on the carpet, like a layer of fog on the ground.

Outside the tent, the members of the engineering team had already gotten up one after another, walked out of the tent, and began to pack their luggage. Today is the last day of the second survey, and the rough plan has been decided. All Rod needed was one final confirmation.

He put on a velvet shirt sewn by Caroline and a gray and white cloak and stepped out of the tent. The servant had already made breakfast, still a few slices of butter bread, cold vegetables, and a few hard-boiled eggs. At most, it is a little better than the average worker, and the chief engineer Brown's breakfast is the same as his own. There was even an extra bottle of yogurt.

"I have already drawn the sketches of the project, and the conditions of the water, the soil, and the rocks are all in accordance with the conditions. The rest is a matter of funding and duration. ”

Over breakfast, Chief Engineer Brown handed Rhodes a complete sketch of the dam design, along with a detailed description of the construction process. Approximate configuration of materials and personnel required.

Rod glanced at it and made only two requests. First, the dam must have a flood channel so that it does not overflow the dam or even burst when the peak of the summer flood season arrives, and second, the water storage capacity is strong enough to meet the irrigation needs within a few miles downstream of the dam.

The answer is yes. Confident Brown, he told Rod that both demands could be met. At the same time, as long as the funds are sufficient, the construction period can be shortened to half a year. Of course, this is only an approximation, not an exact calculation. With the level of productivity in this era, no one dares to guarantee that the construction period is accurate to the day.

As for the benefits of building a dam, it's simply not too much. First of all, the dam will create a height drop that can be used to dig aqueducts for large-scale agricultural irrigation. Second, dams can store flood water to protect downstream areas from flooding, and when dams are built, the flow of water is more gentle, allowing hydraulic machines such as waterwheels to be built, which is significant for some industries. Save manpower and increase efficiency. In addition, the gentle current is also conducive to boating. It's a lot of work.

Of course, the construction of dams is time-consuming, labor-intensive and costly, and it is the most troublesome of all municipal projects, and it is also the largest one. That's why Rhodes had to be careful. According to modern standards, the preparatory work for the construction of a dam includes a project proposal, a feasibility report and a preliminary design. However, Rhodes was involved in the whole process, so the project proposal and feasibility report were dispensed with, the soil and water flow were explored by Rhodes and Brown themselves, and the location of the dam was also decided by the two of them. So, the previous work was done by himself, and only the design of the dam was done by Brown. This guy used to be an engineer in Errengrad and worked on the water control project of the Leynsk River, so he is also an expert in this area. The key is that the blueprints shown to Ruder Finn look reasonable, and even know how to use trapezoidal faces to reduce the pressure of the dispersed water, so as to make the dam stronger.

Two days later, the plan was finalized. In the upper reaches of the Dongquan River, a dam will be built. The construction began with the diversion of water, and several tributaries were dug before the dam was built to disperse the water so that the main channel would not flow too quickly. Working on a gentle flow of water makes it easier to block the river and build a dam. At the same time, allow the upstream water to flow naturally downstream. These channels can then be used as flood channels in the future.

The irrigation area is located downstream of the dam. According to the concept and plan, after the dam is completed, the vast area between the dam and the Black Hammer Fort will become an irrigation area, and the entire area will be planted with fruits and vegetables to supply the needs of the town.

Irrigation canals are excavated on the inner side of the river. According to the principle of bend dynamics, the river water flows down from the upstream, and the speed of the outer water flow at the bend will be faster than the inner water flow, so that the outer high water level water flow will flow back to the inner side, because the outer water flow speed is fast, and the inner water flow speed is slow, so after a long time, the sediment in the river will accumulate on the inner side of the river channel to form a convex bank. In general, the soil on the convex bank is also the most fertile. With good utilization, high-yielding crops can be grown. I did not dare to try to excavate the aqueduct from the outside of the bend because the water flow on the outside was fast and the flow was large, and I was afraid that the water flow would not be controlled after excavation, resulting in flooding of the river.

Rhodes had conceived of the Duneng Agricultural Circle before, but that was in an idealized situation, and the terrain of Blackhammer Fort was not so flat, there were rivers and hills, and the key was to make full use of this river. Shipping, irrigation or something is too convenient. The fruits and vegetables picked that day can be transported all the way down the river to the city. The excess can also be used for export. Of course, the distribution of other agriculture should still follow the Du Neng agricultural circle.

The trip took another full week, and by the time we returned to the castle, the Blackhammer Castle union and chamber of commerce had been formed and were running smoothly.

In order to speed up the development of the town, Rhodes' next plan was to introduce dwarven technology. The engineering team has been transferred to the upper reaches of the Dongquan River to build a dam. There can be no more major construction projects in the city in the short term. However, development cannot be stopped. Ice Queen, Greenskin, Nezumi, Chaos...... Each one is a deadly threat. Rhodes must take advantage of the current short period of peace to develop the strength of his territory.

"So, you want me to go to Dulong City instead of you, and talk to them about buying technology?"

Alves was called to Rhodes' office, where they closed the door and met in secret. Love

"Yes, and it's not just about technology, it's about people. ”

Rhodes lay back in his chair and relaxed.

"You want a dwarven technician to work in the territory?"

Alves asked emphatically.

"Well, what's not to do? I have saved the people of Dulong City, and the dwarves have an upright temperament, and they will repay their kindness. There is kindness, plus we are a normal transaction, and I am not asking them for free. I'm sure they'll be willing. In the past two years, the ice peppers exported to Dulong City don't know how many dwarves have been saved. I think you used to ask for people and technology, and there was not much resistance. ”

Rod replied with a smile.

"Well, it seems that you believe me too much to ask a dwarf to negotiate on your behalf. ”

Alves initiates self-deprecating mode, and Rod doesn't care at all.

"No, your identity is not a dwarf, your identity is the administrator of Black Hammer Castle, and you are going on my behalf, rightly speaking. ”

"Why don't you go yourself?"

Alves laughed.

"Have you ever seen a lord spend more time outside than in a castle? Normally, I wouldn't do that. ”

Rhodes reclined back. Gradually, they became acquainted, and the conversation was as if at home, uninhibited.

"Okay, I'll go, I'll go. By the way, when the dam is built in the future, do you plan to use the new cultivated land to resettle the refugees?"

Alves asked with a wink and a smile.

"Of course not. The refugees are almost settled. Such a good fertile land will naturally not be handed over. At that time, the value of these lands will not be as cheap as the wasteland in the suburbs. I have to collect rent, whether it is the nobles of Quarreala or anyone else, I need to pay rent. Moreover, the unit price needs to be studied at that time. The closer to the town, the higher the price, and the farther the distance, the irrigation effect is not ideal, the rent should be appropriately reduced. Rod said.