The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-01-06

SCnGQule the carrier leaves AT IL
a. m.
Washington, D. c.. January g.
From information obtained from the
report of Major F. r. Skunk, who
has recently filed with the war de.
partment his report on the improve
ment on the Minnesota river. it is
learned that in the opinion Of the
government official the project is en-.
tirely feasible and should be begun
without delay.
In the opinion OF Major Skunk the
proposed improvements will cost in
the neighborhood of a million and
quarter dollars, and with the reser.
yoir which the plans contemplate
with a capacity upwards of eight
billion cubic feet of water, would
furnish practically six foot channel
from Morton, Renville county, to the
mouth Of the Minnesota river, q
distance Of 206 miles.
The government official points out
that the project is worthy one and
he is confident that under the plans
| contemplated sufficient depth OF
! water could be maintained to insure
freight and barge traffic during the
open season. 1t is also pointed out
in the report that the territory at
fected includes a population Of ap
proximately G0,C00, with several
al
and that the trade and commerce
of the valley and adjacent territory
would warrant the government in
making the improvements.
Reservoirs at Lac Qui ParIe.
The government engineers investi
gated three localities with q view
of selecting one rs the site for a
reservoir. These were at Mankato
Big Stone Lake and Lac Qui Parle
After careful investigation the two
first locations We're eliminated and
Lac Qui Parle was finally selected
, as offering the best site.
In considering the possibility Ci
selecting Mankato il was discovered
that this location was out Of the
question, owing to the fact that the
proposed dam would food the low
portions of the city. The objection
to the Big Stone Lake site was that
| its cost would be so high as not to
warrant its construction at that
point, and furthermore there was a
great deal of local opposition.
The Lac Qui Parle site would have
almost 1900 square miles of water
shed tributary to. it, which would
empty into the reservoir at this
point every spring over twenty-five
billion cubic feet of water.
Biggest item Of Cost.
The biggest item Of cost, accord
ing to Major Skunk. would fall un.
der the head of fiowage rights, which
is estimated at about half a million
dollars. Other expenses will be for
raising railroad tracks, construction
Of impounding reservoirs, cleaning
of river channel. superintendent OF
works, etc. The plans provide for
the construction of one or two wing
dams, one OF which would probably
be at Henderson.
On the question of river foods In
the spring OF the year, the govern
ment engineer is of the opinion that
the project when once put in opera
ton would have q tendency to re
duce food conditions, but would not
entirely eliminate them. On this sub
ject Major Skunk states that for
merly floods occurred only in March,
but for the past ten years they have
been increasing in volume and are
most active during the months of
May, June and July. In his opinion
this condition has been brought
about largely through the construc-
ton OF bitches which empty their
waters into the Minnesota river.
The report is not at all favorable
! to the proposed cooperation between
the federal government and individ-
/ uals or corporations so far as the
construction of water power sites is
concerned On the other hand it en-.
dorses the plan to have the federal
government build its power sites al
its own expense and lease the power
/ to individuals or corporations at a
reasonable sum. Upwards of 500
horse power can be developed at the
Lac qui Parle dam throughout the
year and at some seasons it will be
almost doubled.
That the Minnesota river should
be considered in connection with the
Mississippi river from the standpoint
Of river navigation, is the broad
ground taken by Major Skunk. He
asserts that the impounding reser
voir provided for in his report, to-
gether with the other Improvements,
would assist materially in maintain
ing the Mississippi river at a navi
gable stage at st. Paul.