The Wahpeton times., 1906-03-08
FOUR DAMS AND a CANAL Asked

neo River Valley League Wants Unit.
ed States and Canada to United In
Improvement Project.
The drainage conference called
through President Cashel of the North
Dakota Drainage league, and attended
by delegates from Manitoba, Mime.
sofa and North and South Dakota,
opened at the Commercial clubrooms
at Grand Forks Tuesday. Mayor
Sharpe of Winnipeg was elected chair.
man and Mayor Nye of Moorhead sec.
tetary.
There was general discussion on
the prevention of the annual overflow
of the Red river, and A. l.. Fellows OF
Bismarck, George A. Ralph of Crooks.
ton, G. H. Danier of Winnipeg, w r..
Hoag of Minneapolis and T. r. Atkin.
son Of Bismarck were appointed a
committee on resolutions to report on
Wednesday.
President Cashel. in outlining the
object of the conference, spoke of the
great benefits that would accrue from
drainage, and urged that the matter of
spring overflows be not overlooked, a
condition that costs farmers of the
valley thousands Of dollars annually.
He recommended that the conference
agree on some general plan on which
to memorialize the Dominion parlia
ment and congress to appoint joint
commission of practical men to inves
tigate the conditions of the Red river
re trf ,fov ~ nd <3nA
ings and recommendations to botE
governments.
! This is the first conference in which
Manitoba has been represented, and as
that country is as greatly interested
in drainage as this, much good is ex
pected Of the gathering. =.
Makes Wants Known.
The members of the drainage con.
ference spent Wednesday in discus.
sions and the sessions were closed by
the adoption of the following resolu.
| tions:
| Whereas, the officers of the United
States agricultural department in CO.
operation with the proper officers Of
the various states affected are at the
present time engaged in making de-
tailed study of the Red river valley in
the United States, and the engineers
of the public works department of
Manitoba are also engaged in the
study of the drainage conditions pre-
vailing in the said valley in that prov
ince. all of which Investigations and
! CT, Ir,in inA
greatest possible speed consistent with
careful study and the funds available,
but whereas, there still remains much
to he done before there can be a full
and complete understanding OF the
situation; therefore.
BE it resolved. That liberal appro
priations be made for the prosecution
of these surveys by the departments OF
the governments having the same in
charge, to the end that the data re-
Quired for the proper drainage of the
Red river valley and the regulation of
the flow of the Red river may be Sc.
cured.
Asks Joint Action.
BE it further resolved, That We
earnestly and urgently request the
government Of Canada and the con-
gress of the United States to secure
the appointment Of an international
commission for the purpose Of making
thorough Investigation of the Red
river and its tributaries, with view
TO regulating the food flow thereof so
as TO prevent it's overflow in times Of
food, and improve navigation in peri.
DDS of low water.
BE it further resolved, That the ex.
tensive drainage projects now being
carried on throughout the valley, and
which will materially affect the vol
umc of water in said river in food pc
RODS. make it imperative that the flow
of this river be- regulated as far as
possible with view TO meeting the
conditions created by these improve
ments: and,
BE il further resolved, That from.
estimates made by government en-
ginccrs it is apparent that the waters
OF the Red river should be so con-
trolled by the construction Of a canal
connecting Lake Traverse with the
Big Stone lake, thereby lowering the
water level OF said Lake Traverse sufti-
GENTLY to turn the flow from it's basin
into the Minnesota river, and by the
construction of a reserVoid dam at
Otter Tail lake, as recommended by
government engineers. q dam at the
outlet of Red Lake, Il reservoir dam on
the Cheyenne river at some forcible
point to retain the waters OF it's basin
during flood periods. and dam OH the
Pcmbina river, suitably located to con-
troll the floods of Dakota. By the con-
s,ruction OF these dams and reservoirs
the danger from overflow OF the Red
river valley would be averted and nav
ieation materially improved in low
streams of water
Would Cost $5oooo0.
BE it further resolved, That from
Investigations and estimates made by
competent engineers the proposed I'M
provements can be constructed at q
cost not to exceed 100000.
"Be il further resolved, That the