The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1906-01-11
DRAINAGE PROJECTS.
Heavy Snow In Red River Valley n.
wives Drainage Projects.

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The recent snow storm, rivaling. II
y 1t did not exceed the famous one of
Thanksgiving time, 1896, will serve as
nothing else could have done to fix at
tention on the drainage movement
now in progress in the Northwest, and
especially in the Red river valley. The
conditions thus far are quite similar
with perhaps a little difference in IA
vor Of deeper snow now, for it is still
showing. In 1896 a little before
Thanksgiving there had been several
light falls of snow, and the snow oil
lay upon the ground, almost where 1t
fell, to the depth of nearly q foot A
strong northwest wind arose and lifted
this mass Of snow into the air. and the
result was one of the worst billiards
in the history OF the country, and the
deepest drifts that white men can re-
call. Several heavy SHOWS followed
during the winter and the snow was
piled to an incredible height.
The Red river winds its way for 900
miles through country almost abso-
lutely fiat, in what is practically
deep, narrO-y ditch In ordinary years
there is little troLt'e from high water.
The water D,:y rise 70 some twenty
feet above low wr:er mark without
causing gerio;s !aconvenierce 10 any
one, but wen IT goos- beyond that
point there is trouble. Not only are
fields near the :.,!.yer flooded, but the
water backs up in the numerous small
streams and coulees which empty into
the main stream, and lands far distant
from the river itself are flooded just
at the time when the farmers should
be at work on them.
In 1896 this condition existed, and 1t
was aggravated by the condition OF the
river itself The heavy winds OF the
fall and winter had filled the river bed
full from bank to- bank with hard pack
ed snow In many places there was
| scarcely a depression to mark the
course of the stream; the snow lay
across 1t In a level plain. This was
| the condition when the spring of 1897
! arrived. The snow melted on the level
prairies in the basin of Lake Traverse
while the snow in the river bed was
still intact. The gentle dip OF the land
4 toward the north sent the water slow.
" in that direction, and their course
was INSTRUCTED by the great snow wall.
Tho fertile farming country near the
head Of the river became a lake many
miles in extent Slowly the snow
melted to the northWard, and as It did
SO the quantity Of water accumulated,
SO that the food was an increasing and
progressive one from the headwaters
Of the river to its mouth at Lake Win
! nipeg. Halfway down the stream its
greatest tributary was discharging at
one point the accumulated waters OF 2
territory: half the size Of the state Of
New Jersey, and this.did not help mat,
tiers any. Smaller streams We're con;
tributing their share here and there.
The damage that resulted cannot be
estimated, but It certainly ran into
millions more than the cost of all the
improvements in the way OF drainage
that have ever been suggested.
At the. drainage convention which
1 was held at Grand Forks subsequently
/ number Of. improvements were su y
gested, and among them sthere we're
two which could be perfected at small
cost, and which would give consider
able relief. One of these was the con-
structions of a canal from Lake, Trav-
erse to Big Stone lake, by means OF
which when desired a considerable
portion Of tie water could be diverted
from the Red river to the Minnesota.
AS the Minnesota has been open long
| before there is any danger Of high wa
/ ter in the Red river valley, this would
4 take care Ola great deal OF water
4 without inconveniencing any one. The
other project, equally simple, is the
4 damming Of Red lake at its exit into
the Red Lake river, so that by the rails
ing Of the level Of this lake trifle an
immense quantity of water could pc
4 stored there in the spring, TO be re-
leased from time to time during the
I summer, when it would do no harm.
HI The drainage convention which is TO
he held in Grand Forks on Jan. TO and
III will take up these and other pro-
iects looking relief from a danger
! which is preseni every year, and which
cannot'be averted except by the " united
action of the people of the entire val
1 lev. Naturally nothing that can be
done will have any effect on the con-
5t.dltions next spring. Action has been
4 postponed from time to time, partly
from the spirit that animated the Ar
kansas man who explained that he had
not repaired his roof because when 1t
rained he could not work on 1t, and
when it did not rain the think didn't
i leak. But the winter season OF this
wear starts out in a manner which
leads one to suspect that nature IN.
tends to give the people OF the Red
H river valley one more object lesson IN
what can be done in the way OF pro-
dusing flood.
Y Have you cried the new meat
market? Let us fill you q trial