Jamestown alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1878-1882, 1881-09-02
NAVIGATING THE jim.
A Canal Ready Made and Kept Servicea.
BILE by Nature.

BILE by Nature.
I have surveyed public land at vari-
GUS points for eighty miles below
jamestown, and have travelled along
the Dakota or James river from Yank-
ton to jamestown several in 1873
and since. In my surveys l have
had occasion to cross the river by
wading it in probably thirty places
between Grand Rapids and Colum-
bia. Speaking Of that region spec
tally: From short distance below
Grand Rapids to Columbla-some
sixty miles by road and l20 by river
there is practically no fall to the
river. have measured the width
Of water in twenty or thirty places
and it is from two and one half to
four and one half chains wide--or
from l6O to 300 feet. Nowhere mar.
rover than $50 feet, l believe. Its
depth in very uniform-about three
and one half feet in July, August and
September, the dry season. In places
it is five or six feet deep. The banks
are usually the black loan and clay
Of the bottom lands, though in some
places they are higher and more solid
and dry. Heavy grass grows on
them and very often down into the
water from five to fifteen feet This
part Of the river and generally near
the banks is muddy, a man sinking
easily eight to twelve inches in it,
but in the middle Of the stream for a
width of sixty to one hundred feet
the bottom is firm and often hard
apparently sandy on the surface at
least. In that part one does not
mistake the mud for a part of the
depth of water. have never waded
the water when it was shallow as
three feet. This condition is as per-
manent as the river. A dam at Co.
lumbia would back the water nearly
to Grand Rapids. That rise would
fill the banks in most places and over
flow some low ground, not so valua-
bic for amy other purpose. The sur
face Of water by dam twelve or tif-
teen feet at Columbia would reach,
including the so called lake above
Columbia, an area Of fifteen or more
square miles, and would afford a
vast storage for water to be used at
the dam and numerous mill sites two
hundred miles below to the Missouri.
The river is now naviyable between
Columbia and Grand Rapids for boats
drawing two and half to three feet
of watnr and any rise would deepen
the channel so much more. This
feature is one Of interest and it is a
wonder the railroads that are building
do not take it more in to account. l
call it 100 miles long, bat do not
know exactly. Where so wide and
deep the river is much more direct,
i. G., has few short bends and main
ly long orcs that do not add so much
to distance.
There is Il great canal, ready made
and kept by natarc, with water pow.
crs above and below, atfording free
commerce To a rich region. The gov.
ernmcnt ought to mcandcr the stream
in all this part. As it is the survey
ors cross it with all lines, and the
water and its bed arc a part Of the
land sub division.
The clay soil and tendency to
"gumbo" render the building of dams
= mart irul,r v1rk Tho n.rth will
soften and grow slippery around tim
bcrs sunk under the water, and dams
will become less stable from year to
year; but no drains are practicable
expect at Columbia and Grand Rap
ids.
This is a subject of large impor-
tancc, and while l have not a dollar
in trust within one hundred miles of
the "big canal," | regard it's improve
ment of high value to Dakota.