The Washburn leader., 1901-07-13
FLOODS IN The
RED RI; J ]. RIVER I i ! Val !! |. lEY J
FHEIR PREVENTION Is THE DE-
SIRE OF MANY PEOPLE.


3 i IS
Fargo. July THE floods Of the Red
river valley and their means Of relief
will be the chief subject considered a.
the third annual meeting Of the Tri-
State Drainage association to be- he,d
here July 18. II and IL. \
By referring to the geological survey
Of the United States, monograph 25. nre-
pared and printed under the direction Of
Charles G. Walcott, which was the ape-
cial work Of, the survey made by Warren
Upham, 1t Ii found that disastrous foods
have been known to occur in the Red
river valley as far back as the year
1926; also in 1852. 1860. 1851, 1882 1903
and 1897: they are caused in the sprink
by the melting Of the unusual heavy
supply Of snow and by accompanying
heavy rain, and are often increased by
gorges Of ice which form at or near the
northern boundary Of the United States.
It Is known that the ice in the northern
or lower portion Of the river does not
break up nearly as early as in the south
ern portion. The waters overflow the.
banks and the fiat lands on each side Of
the river
", q OA01AuCS OF many M1Ie0s
Inc Otter Tail river is, with Lake Tray.
erse and the Bois de Sioux river. the
origin OF the Red River Of the North.
The Otter Tail river riSes in a small lake
about sixty miles north of Otter Tail
lake; between its origin and otter TAN
lake it passes through seven other lakes.
Because Of these numerous other lakes
on the upper portion Of the Otter Tail
a 10 rof
by heavy rains and SHOWS or dry seasons.
The range between the highest and low
est stages Of the Red River Of the North
increased rapidly between Breckenridge,
Minn., and Wahpeton, N. D., being over
thirty feet at Moorhead and Fargo, and
forty-four feet at Grand Forks and near
" thirty-nine feet at Pembina and st.
Vincent. In 1893 it reached height Of
nearly forty-three and one-half feet at
Grand Forks, and In 1897, during the
last great Hood, the river reached a
height Of nearly forty-seven. feet at
Grand Forks. At lower Fort Gary, six
teen miles from Winnepeg, it often rises
to thirty-five feet.
Origin of the River.
From Breckenridge and Wahpeton tho
Red River Of the North runs in nearly
direct line to Lake Winnepeg, 2S5
miles, but in it's meanderings 1t flows
nearly 700 miles. The river rises In g.
lake 1,5SO feet above the sea about thir-
teen miles west Of Lake Itasca, which is
the origin Of the Mississippi river. The
fall Of the Red IT. or from its origin to
Breckenridge and Wahpeton is 500 feet.
and the fall from Breckenridge and
wahpeton to Lake Winnepeg, through
the Zoo miles Of its meanderings is some
thing less than 800 feet. The banks of
the Red River Of the North from Breck-
enridge and Wahpeton vary from twelve
feet in height to fifty feet, and the coun-
try on both sides Of the river Is nearly
fiat, with only slight rise in either d.
rection, as one travels away from the
river. To the west the rise Is much less
than to the east.
The Red river valley was formerly the
bed Of a lake extending from Lake
Traverse on the south to some seven hun
dred miles north, far beyond the present
northern boundary Of Lake Winnepeg.
This great lake was some three hundred
miles in width. At the present time
Lake winnepeg Is all that remains OF
what once formed great inland sea.
All of the waters OF the Red river val
ley now empty into the Hudson bay
through the Nelson river, but during the
existence Of the lake previously mem
toned they flowed to the south through
the present Minnesota river valley Thus
we have between the Gulf Of Mexico and
Hudson bay great valley with the high.
est point Of land located
At Browns Valley, Mimi.
about nine hundred seventy-five feet
at ~ "a 49, ..f,, @,~