, 1880-01-26
Tho System Of Dams-prcccdcnts for tho
Reservoir Systcm-Effcct upon
Navigation.

tho senate, and by Gov. Pound In
tho House. Engineer officers Of ability
hnvc given tho matter careful consideration,
aui ut different tines during tho last thirteen
years small appropriations have been mAac for
preliminary surveys. Tho following officers of
tho Engineer Corps during TINT Tine have Fcx-
pressed the opinion TINT sucll q scllcme was not
only pracslcAbc, but TINT 1t would result, ut
comparatively low cost, In greatly Improving
tho navigation Of tho Mississippi itvGr: SfuJ-
Gen. q. X. Wurren, In his rrport tnnde In 1870;
Aluj. D. G. Houston. in 1873; Col. Fnrli,tnr, IN
1876, md subsequent rrports In 1s15 '7e-'7s; and
Mat. Allen, In 1S1D-m.
POINTS TO lie DETERMINED.
Tho attention Of tho engineers havo lrcen d.
rectcd to tho following ponts:
First-To tho practicability Of establishing
reservoirs
Stxond-Tho cost Of crentins and maintaining
them.
1htni-Tho n1noa,nt Of damage to property
FmtTh-The extent to which tho mpoundc,l
Gtrean, and ultimately to TINT of tho it'ain Mis-
Tho aren Of country over which ts,s tnycstign-
t'on was c1ndMccd IL in'n!ensG: covering Il lnrRo
portion Of M!nnesotn ant Wisconsin: ant ry'-
60O sqtlNrn miles, att Involving II consideration
Of tho entire watershed tri!ntMry to. tho MisaIs-
liz Wisconsin. The u grcater psrt II tic rcions
examined hnvo bect, Extremely difficult Of ,c-
ccss. spatscly settled. and lttse knowil, excerpt
of tho territory have nlt,l!sst exclusive control
Of tho smaller strrH1ns This has been particn-
lark 4Sp rs II h9 s M,eqes persa sfGf "r Thorough
consideration OF tho subject nre comprised In
tho following points:
watersheds.
Dscharges Of tho streams to servo Us checks
unnn cnlcuMttons from nh0ye.
{eNHhr41t4 GF
pGHr',lcd w:!ter n sufficient qnnntlty.
The. theory Ills bec, that thcsts rsservoirs
outlets Of tho lakcs whlcf, empty Tito The Upper
the wntsr from tel. to twenty: feet, md tn h,-
crease tho Grcn of howape. Thu p1lrl'oso has
sa thsse 10 1a y nsa m 81 ,se i, scss ss,
Of low wnteT, tn ncrcnHc tho discharge Of wRter
according to necessity by ralsng tho gates.
PRECEpENTs FOn TIE RESERVOIR SYSTEM
There nre prccct1cnts fnr such plnr. a SIM
liar system Ns been III trao III lntlii Tor tho pnr-
IDso of irrigation Rnd tnnnnfactnrc, md In
coluralo for purposes OF Irrigation, anI now @
low-tsntcr scason to supply mills With tho need
ed water.
RFFfCT rroy NAVIGATION.
!. To complete the wnrks with the present forcc
It Is cStlMAtcI thAt three yenrs would GD ncteS-
sary. still, very arge benefits might result in
orc SEASON from the erection Of povtiots 81 tho
a % woad 30 astey naa mo:po'e :ae Sesi as R WI
" st. Louis md I my 6e yery much further
tributaries Of tho river lo,ycr down which would
have Btlntlnr effect, mud might ultimately rcMl
y Wnnt - n2w tl'tcslch 70 ho tlscSfs1.
y " 5 ,G ~ xary uratg fSp nu M1er M a III
low-wnter senson. Tho HrcMt difficulty, how
ever, ~ tho Lower Asss!ssippl Is Kenurni.y not
!II. ttoni 9cK q! @ntef. me anEger, On tno cn's-
itow. It - tho Upper Miss'ssppl country where
wnaer me-, ,s specially wanteu for use. T.. ,o.
stealnlt,at tts,c on the Unpor M!ssiss!pp'. III
s!uGntally tho improvement would be1!ciit ever,
n1asiness IN. mtefssI Wen uses lug strens Tor
dtS dtH.llY ,nHs VI @ 1MauoI, IF S nnS nt tFpose.
xi.xrfxn Ia f:,tiMixt "'4 r'0NA"'' ~ N'SN'
ovrw,ro,vvn ,,xns
pt soc IL s a1; ws HS s %s H sg sfsseh s :
ssta1 ,ha I91G I Is - n ny cetry mt ,ht H. y no
ac T%s 5' sH are %se II @ cSa Hi r wscr " sGs 10
ftepy tess s ~ s sHs Ges r @
and nd Minnesota.
INC inemours M from the mississippi VALLEY ~
scheme. scheme. ~ M fIct ~ tho Representatives q tho
" III Pc.s wta5 s,sS w s sS sm1 Sss1s issst,4 u
course y nafxn Gmnlt tH commerce w1lai.i D9
Whi"f IL nav .iiySri, t1t, nsbrr mt,, mnrIs
hn rsiIrrM.,ls r,bahIv ,yn,,Ii nt,t hn hnst,c IN
d, X, l"r @ thSy q" not trouble ; tsaseyas @ s mow 70
moro bnsl,,..ss th,lt, ihcy chi, n. 1 4Ao' ""''
f'''' 01'A''''' .r1's ,mxs,mxxr ,vs r"M Mssss ".
that ssvr!i years ago surSsy Ind 6ee', innds s
or The 5 o. ths ono %r Ut sano nMr
s4 ssus 5 = VIZ x,rset rot pss'os dn! e 5 ars e.
tho schcniu WIS abandoned. Tllis slllo objection