Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-07-19
THE CONDITION Or UPPER
MISSISSIPPI RESERVOIRS.

It will be remembered that a
great dial of feeling against the
continuance Of the reservoir sys.
tenn onthe upper Mississippi was
created last year among the settlers,
because of .the damage done their
crops by the overflow, says the
Minneapolis Lumberman. Recent.
ly the mayor of Aitkin, Minn.,
wrote Senator Nelson at Washing.
ten in regard to the danger from
overflow to farmers along the river
this spring, and the senator called
the attention of Captain Frederick
V. Abbott of the corps of engi.
neers to the matter.
Captain Abbott replied to Sen
ator Nelson, explaining the con.
dition of the reservoirs of the
upper Mississippi. This letter,
which appeared recently in the
Altkin Republican, throws con.
siderable light on the up river
situation. Captain Abbott states
that he found the Winnebigoshish
dam, on inspection last fall, to be
very weak, and he accordingly
ordered the stored water to he
released as rapidly as consistent
with keeping the Mississippi river
below the dam within its banks.
He did this with the idea OF being
able to store some water in Winnie.
bigoshish this spring so as to
relieve the farmers as far as pos.
sible. An inspection of the Leech
lake dam led him to a similar
conclusion, and both of these
reservoirs were kept discharging
as much water as was consistent
with the safety Of the lands below.
At the time the spring rains
began, the attempt was made to
hold LIE: CHI lake with the result
that serious leakage threatened
the strength of the dam neccssi.
tating the putting Of the discharge
where it was before. The dis
charge at Winnebigoshish was
decreased, and the water allowed
to slowly rise. Pokegema reservoir
was practically empty at the be-
ginning of the season, but it is
now filled to within half foot of
the f]owage line. Sandy lake was
also filled. Pine river reservoir
has remained closed except for a
few days; in fact, all five reser-
volrs have been so operated
according to Captain Abbott as to
diminish the effects of the food of
Aitkin as far as possible.
Captain Abbott points out the
necessity of repairs at Winnebi-
goshlsh and Leech lake dams. If
they had been in condition to hold
the heads for which they were
designed every drop of water which
was discharged this spring could
have been retained in them safely.
The water so retained would have
benefited the steamboat naviga-
ton this summer by giving an
increased depth in the river at St.
Paul of from one foot to eighteen
inches. As the matter now stands,
Captain Abbott says that he will
be compelled to empty entirely
both Winnebigoshlsh and Leech
lake reservoirs during the coming
low water season, and when they
are empty he will open their gates
to their full capacity, and the
water will flow IN the river as
though the dams did not exist.
This will result in more overflow
ing for Aitkin county next spring
if the season is rainy, for even if
congress should make an approprl-
alton at the present time it would
be impossible to get the work done
in time to hold next spring s floods.
The repairs at Winnebigoshish
will cost 100000, and at Leech
lake fully as much.
In the interests of the farmers
on the river and of navigation
below St. Paul, the government
engineers advise the appropriation
of the funds for the prompt and
safe repair of these two important
dams. This matter is also of