The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-07-12

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Resolved, By the delegates. in con-
vention here assembled, representing
each and every part of the territory
embraced in the said Red River val
ley of the north and its tributaries,
which includes part of North Dakota,
South Dakota and Minnesota, congress
Of the United States be, and hereby is,
petitioned and urgently requested to
appoint a federal commission, con
sisting Of three persons, one each from
the - states Of North Dakota, South
Dakota and Minnesota, to investigate
the work and matters above men
toned. in conjunction with q com.
mittee from congress-, and to report at
the next session of that body.
: Resolution adopted.
The above resolution was adopted
unanimously by the legislatures of Min
nesota, North and South Dakota.
The disastrous floods of the Red
River valley are due to the ice jams
which form in the Red River at or
near the boundary line of the United
States. The waters of the river in
the southern portion of the Red River
valley break up much earlier than
those in the northern portion.
There are three principal sources of
the water supply to the Red River of
the North the most southerly one be-.
ing that Of Lake Traverse and the
Rosi de Sioux river; the second source
Of Importance is the Otter Tail river,
and the third Red Lake river:
: At the meeting in CrooEston, Mimi.
Jan. 70, 1901, Colonel. r: Davenport,
assistant United States engineer, To-
Gated at st. Paul, Mimi, delivered an
address explaining the work that has
been done by the engineering corps OF
the United States army up to that
time He made report upon the sur
vey of Big Stone lake and Lake Ira
verse, also upon the survey of thesOt-
ter Tail lake, and of the Red Lake
river and Red lake; the survey of Red
lake as probable reservoir shows
that lake is ample of holding all of the
water that would be liable to come to
it during any flood period, so that
source of water during the spring
freshets would not be contributor as
heretofore. The survey of Otter Tail
lake shows that if the lake were made
into a reservoir it would not hold the
water supply unless the lake level be
raised as much as ten feet. above its
ordinary stages. He suggests that
other lakes in the vicinity of Otter
Tail lake would also have to be includ-
ed as reservoirs to assist in holding the
water. In the survey made by United
States Assistant Engineer W. c. Weeks
in 1897, of Big Stone and Lake Ira
verse Mr.. Weeks showed that Lake
Traverse is about eight feet higher
than Big Stone lake he also proposed
to construct canal between the lakes
SO that Lake Traverse could be made
to flow into Big Stone lake; this would
come to it from the Lake Traverse
basin during flood period.
The Otter Tail river, about seven
teen miles east of Breckenridge and
Wapheton is approximately one hun
dred feet higher than Lake Traverse,
according to Monograph 20 of the u.
S. geological survey which refers es-
pecially to Glacial Lake Agassiz.
Major William A, Jones madesa pre-
iiminary examination of the Red River
Of the North, Minnesota and its tribu-
taries and Big Stone lake and Lake
Traverse in 1892. In his report to
Brig. Gen. Thomas F. Casey, chief of
engineers of the U. S. army, he pro
poses that a canal be constructed from
the. Otter Tail river below Fergus
Falls, Mimi, across the country south
west to the Rabbit river can be made
to flow into Lake Traverse, by either
dredging the Bots de Sioux or con.
structing another canal at a higher
level.
From the reports it can be seen that
the disastrous floods of the Red River
of the North that occur at varying
periods at from three to five years de.
stroying millions of dollars worth OF
property could be prevented if congress
could be induced to make an appropri-
! alton for nrnnAr nrotactiOu