Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1902-01-23
NEW WATER ROUTE.
Continuous Navigation Is PFODOse0
From st. Paul to Lake Winnipeg
and Red Lake.


called at this session to the advisable
ity Of making an appropriation for the
better drainage Of the Red River val
leys, and those other portions OF the
Northwest in which similar conditions
prevail, and which can be united under
one drainage plan.
From time to time there have bce!.
floods in that s. ction of the country,
but since the white settlers came In
the floods have been more frequent and
more disastrous. owing, probably, to
the denuding Of the land to the east of
its timber Before the settlement of
the country there were vast reservoirs
throughout the Red River valley, and
at the headwaters Of the streams emp
tying into the Red, which: held the wa
tiers of the spring frsshets until along
into the following summer, and, in
many cases, until the next year. Thus,
a comparatively uniform stage of water
was maintained, and the floods were. as
a rule. not serious, end there was suftl-
cient water in the stream at all times
to afford good navigation.
When the settlers came and broke up
the land the conditions became changed.
With the exception of the country at
the head of the Red Lake river, the sec
tor tributary to the Red river is al
most destitute of timber. The flow of
the water from the prairies was impei-
ed by the immense growth of grass.
which filed the bed of every slough
and there were great areas of 'and, re-
garded as swamp, in which there was
\ water at all times.
The pillow of the farmer drained many
field in which the water had stood for
ages, and the demand for land led to
schemes of state and county ditching.
so as to make as much land as possible
fit for crops. The result of this is that
the area of arabic land has been very
materially increased; but there is an
other result which is not quite so satis-
factory. The water from the melting
snow in the spring, which formerly
took weeks or months 20 find it's way
| into the stream, now rushes down in
few days, and the bed of the main
stream, which in no place is wide, is
filled from bank to bank and floods the
| surrounding country.
| There is also another feature which
must be taken into account. The Red
river, the outlet of a territory over So
900 miles in extent, flows north. Its
/
miles apart. In this distance a consid-
cradle difference of climate is notice
able. The ice in tie river at. the exit
from Lake Traverse, near the southern
boundary of North Dakota, moves from
one to two weeks earlier than that at
Winnipeg. The stream is thus open.
with the water flowing freely, near its
source, while short distance down
stream it is still. locked in the icy fet-
tiers of winter. There is thus a contin-
uous dam, reaching from one end of the
river to the other, which in the spring
freshets must he gradually broken
away, and which materially impedes
the flow of the water, sometimes caus-
| ing disastrous floods.
The effect of these conditions is read.
fly seen. Ic years when there is
| heavy snowfall, which is taken away
suddenly in the spring by rains. the nu-
merous drains and bitches made for the
| purpose of drying off the land, rapidly
carry the water to the coulies and per-
manent streams, whence it quickly
finds it's way to the river. The ice
gorges here and there, there being no
clear water below. The water rises and
| floods low-lying farms. The supply in
| what were the natural reservoirs is ex-
| hausted, and the water falls to such
| low point that navigation is rendered
extremely difficult.
| The food of 1897. which is a matter OF
history, is a case in point. There had
been an unusually heavy snowfall. Big
drifts formed all over the prairie. and
the space between the high banks was
filed full of snow, blown in and COM
pacted by the high winds. Spring ar
rived, and with it came rain. The snow
melted and, there being no way to
check the flow of water, down 1t went,
millions upon millions of gallons, until
the stream began to climb its banks and
spread over the adjacent country.
The ordinarily peaceful, sluggish
stream was transformed into an angry
monster. Farm after farm was inun-
dated, buildings were swept away, cat
tic, horses AMI other live stock de-
stroyei. and, in some cases, human
lives lest.
In order to remedy this condition OF
things the people of the valley have
been at work for years on drainage
rian, having for its object the construc-
ton of canals, locks and reservoirs. for
the purpose of retaining as much of
this water as possible during the period
when floods may be looked fer, releas>
ing it through the su inner SO as to keep
the river in fit state for navigation
all through the season.
COL. Jones. of the United States en-.
gineer corps, has made several reports
on the subject. and, in his opinion. the
plan is entirely feasible. The state
ments in his reports have been made
the basis of all the agitation which has
been going: on for the past few years.
The people of Manitoba have suf-
fered. as we'll as those on the Dakota
side of thu line, and the drainage ques-
ton has been freely discussed there.
Some work nas been undertaken al
ready, and the engineering authorities
of the province have expressed a Will
ingness to cooperate with the people of
the Dakota side in giving effect to any
plan of drainage which may be decided
upon.
The plan of improvement presented
contemplates the formation of two
great reservoir sy.tems, at Red lake
and Lake Traverse, at the headwaters
I'll ~ re- Da1 ~,