Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1903-01-16


benefit.
system of Improvement.
In improving some sections of the
upper river the work has been done by
means of shore protection. closing
dams and wing dams, constructed of
brush and stone, which are found in
abundance on the banks OF the river
By this method of improvement all
the side channels are closed by what
are termed closing dams, thus conf
ming the low water flow to a single
channel. One bank of this channel Is
usually protected from caving by bank
reyetment and the river contracted by
the construction Of wing dams from
the opposite shore. The width OF con-
traction varies from st. Paul to the
mouth of the Missouri in accordance
with the low water discharge of the
river at different places. At st. Paul
the prescribed width of the improved
river Is 400 feet: at the mouth of the
st. Crolx 1t widens to 600 feet; below
Lake Pepin 1t Is 800 feet; below tho
mouth of the Wisconsin river, 1000
feet; at Quincy. LOO feet; from the
Illinois river to the mouth of the Mis-
sourl, 1000 feet.
The expenditures since 1874 have
failed to meet the requirements OF the
people engaged In the navigation OF
the river and in commercial and In
dustrial enterprises in the upper Mis-
sissippi valley. The only part of the
river that has been thoroughly Inn
proved is a short piece extending from
st. Paul to Red Wing. MINI. Just
above Lake Pepin the river Is now
broad sheet Of water and occupies the
entire valley from bluff to bluff. In
that part of the river the improvement
works are almost continuous and the
results obtained have been very sue
cessful While the river there IL the
smallest In volume than any other
place In Its course and the channel IL
only 300 feet wide, there is a contin-
uous good channel the year round-far
better, In fact, than is sometimes found
between Cairo and st. Louis, after the
river has received the tributaries for
700 miles of its course. including the
Missouri. which Is as large as the Mis-
!. ssslppi itself. SO far the work done
has been very local in character, and
Improvements have been made princi-
pally at places where experience has
shown they were needed most. These
improved places are often disconnect-
ed by miles of unimproyed river, and
at the unimproved places sandbars still
develop which give trouble at the low
water season.
Plea for Reservoir System.
The people near the headwaters, par
ticularly in st. Paul and Minneapolis.
are urging an enlargement Of the res
ervoir system, but this plan does not
receive much consideration at the
hands of engineers who claim that the
natural reservoir is Lake Pepin and
that 1t Is adequate.
The most radical element among the
river Improvement promoters want an
ultimate development of the river to
twelve feet. This would necessitate.
according to the engineers. the build
ing of movable dams similar to those
on the Ohio River The most optimis-
tic see with the eyes OF faith day
when the headwaters of the river will
be connected with Lake Superior. thus
furnishing water outlet in a prac-
tically straight line from the great
| lakes TO the isthmian canal but this
Idea has no place in the present plan
Of development.
1t is estimated that $15,000,0O0 viii
give the required depth at all points
on the upper Mississippi and provide
for those plans which seem local In
their character. but are inseparably
connected with the general scheme of
improvement Of hydraulic dredges In
place of the dipper dredges and the
sand pumps which now masquerade as
hydraulic dredges. for even after the
proposed improvements were made
dredging would be necessary. Espe-
cially would this be true after storm,
when it might be necessary to remove
sand bar promptly instead OF wait
ing for the river currents to do so.
Effect on River Com mmerce.
Dwellers In the upper Mississippi
valley expect that favorable solu.
ton of the improvement problem re-
lating to navigation will have pow.
erful effect upon Mississippi commerce
and industry. for after all the main
problem involved is commercial-the
extension of trade and commerce on
the part of the people of the upper
Mississippi River not only among the
people on its own banks and In the
country south, but with the people of
the world through its outlet to the gulf
COiored to Suit.