Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1910-03-31

MlleS, YET WlChln TINS area there are
less thans ten miles Of continuous open
Of riveris where the storm water from
about 200 square miles has been COM
PEELED by reason of some small cross
ridges to get together and make a
river, resulting in river channel of
size increasing from twenty feet wide
and four feet deep, at the upper end,
to forty feet wide and eight feet deep
Here, however, it meets a broad
1' about three miles across with
practically no fall. Coming to this
level area the waters part and spread
out over whole townships, but are, col
lected again ten miles to the west in
Mud lake. The general route between
these points is scattered over with
although crooked and poorly put to-
gether, while at other places they are
wholly disconnected.
TT Ample Outlet.
To remove the excess storm water
from this area in time to insure the
ordinary planting season and properly
to guard against harmful overflow to
bordering lands at harvest time, this
outlet should be about sixty feet wide
and eight feet deep, capable Of pass
ing 1000: cubic feet of water sec
ond. But nature has here provided
only q crooked stream about thirty
feet wide and five feet deep, and given
such sa small slope that it can deliver
only about four hundred cubic feet a
second. Thus, the usual time for the
safe delivery of storm water commonly
placed at from two to three weeks, is
here heightened into two to three
months, while at the same time the
ordinary season furnishes enough dur
ing even the drier summer months to
keep fully replenished this small
amount aq91 Of run-off; :,
Ia large part, of the Thief river
OF its peculiar topography, that is, hav-
ing ats slope all in one direction rem
| dering impossible the usual and natural
processes of river-making. Consider.
able relief from too much surface wa
| ter is frequently furnished by per-
vious gsub.soil, consisting Of sand or
gravel which permits much Of the
ground water. to get away to remote To-
calities, later appearing as springs and
entering river channels and lake beds.
| " Usual Relief Denied.
HBut all such relief is denied this
area, as the whole tract is underlaid
with a stratum of impervious clay, ex-
tending from two to four feet below
LIE surface u I'LL uuhnoWu uepIH. IeSC
pits made during the last season to the
depth of and along the line Of all the
| bitches show this clay sub-soil to be
always present.
$50 in order to correct this two-fold
unfavorableg condition imposed by nat
ure, the drainage engineer is called in
counsel, He must provide a complete
system for the whole. area. since the
Thief river, which is to receive the
lev rnySn ho couoro1 NV, 1S%nhoo 50
as Inadequate in its present size and
capacity AZ are any of the present
small streams, to provide adequate
drainage to the bordering lands.
Up to State.
4sNo way has yet been pointed out
by which either state or federal aid
can be secured for the proper improve
ment Of Thief river. It would seem,
however,, that, the state, which has
spent about $3.50 900 in the Red. River
tinuing to assist other : localities in
their efforts to secure drainage, might
be moved, should northern Minnesota
at least lend helping hand. in this
Thief river improvement. The federal
government has. opened these lands to
the settler and has accepted his money
in payment for them, thereby declaring
/
purposes. But these lands in their
present conditions, except in success
sion Of dry seasons, are not suitable
i to agricultural use and so federal aid
i would BE logical if on no other theory,
than to smooth the edge little of a
sharp bargain.
Representative Halvor Stevenson,
of Crookston. whose district includes
this watershed, has worked on this line.
but thus far without success. He re-
ports that he was told such aid is .un-
constitutional. It appears to be con
stitutional to take the money obtained
from the settler on these lands ($1 .25
an acre even though he lives on it four
i vears) and take it off to Idaho: or Ore
i gon to finance irrigation schemes, but
It is unconstitutional to allow it tore
main here in Minnesota, even as a loan
to the settler. with which to construct
i ditches to drain, the land he bought
I from the government.
Counties Do Share. -. !
I Meanwhile, this tract is to be
I drained through the efforts of Marshall
4 and Beltrami counties, and Mr.. Steen-
E-tt