The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-02-28
the present lake elevation.

the present ldhc GlGNdlibii'
After a large number Of aneroid OBJ
servations were taken by the state en-
gineer on the territory between Dew
lis lake and the Mouse river and from
the Sheyenne north to the Turtle
mountains, it was decided that the
only possible route worth while sur
veying was from a point on the Mouse
river near the mouth Of Wintering
creek to the Sheyenne river by the way
of Buffalo and Girard lakes. 1t is
thought the glacial lake, Souris, which
in the glacial period covered the Mouse
river loop country and some of the
country east of Mouse river, found its
outlet to the Sheyenne by this route.
The route is approximately 1O3 miles
long, thirty miles of which lies along
the valley of the Sheyenne river and
sixty-hve miles of which would have
to be excavated.
The established the fact
that in order to divert the waters OF
the river it would be necessary to
construct a dam in the Mouse liver
near the mouth of Wintering creek
and one in the Sheyenne river six
miles east of the town of S~heyenne.
The dam on the Mouse river would
create a reservoir $500 acres in eX-
tent which would extend nearly to the
town of Velva. A large part of this
proposed reservoir is bottom land n
the land damages would be heavy.
The Sheyenne reservoir woul cover
$500 acres OF land and in addition
would flood about a mile of the North
ern Pacific railroad where it crosses
the valley.
From careful records kept by Pro-
fessor Chandler Of the runof Of the
Mouse river at Minot for the years
of 1908 to 1911 inclusive, it is shown
that the annual flow Of Mouse river
at this point averages 10000 acre
feet, an acre foot being the amount
of water necessary to cover one acre
one foot deep, and ii is estimated that
to maintain Devils lake at the pres
emit elevation ii will require the diver
sion of about $4,000 acre-feet of wa
ter, and would require a ditch four
teen feet wide on the bottom and car
rying water six feet deep with a grade
line Of six inches to the mile.
From the Sheyenne reservoir the
water would be taken to the lake by a
ditch through one of the coulees
which evidently in past ages drained
Devils lake into this river. The es-
timated cost of the bitches and dams
necessary for diversion works carry
ing suficient water to maintain the
lake at its present level is 1868, 900.
The report further shows that to de-
liver sufficient water to the a k to
bring it to its elevation OF 1439, which
was the elevation in the rear 1879,
would require an additional diversion
of $1,000 acre-feet, and with this di-
version 1T would take several years TO
restore the lake to the elevation above
mentioned. The diversion Of this
mount would require a ditch with a
twenty-six foot bottom and with
grade line two feet lower than un-
der the former plan, and the estimated
cost would be $2,042,0 600.
The report also now that there is
sufhctent annual flow of the river to
provide irrigation for 100000 acres Of
land north and east OF the mouth of
Wintering creek and on lands adjac-
emit to the oberon- Esmond branch OF
he Northern Pacific. The irrigation
of these lands would be brought
about by the construction OF pumping
plants at the Mouse and Sheyenne
reservoirs. The irrigation OF these
lands would be accomplished at a
cost Of probably not to exceed $25 per
acre and the annual cost to apply the
water to the land would be approx
mately $3.50 per acre. The irrigation
OF these lands, considered together
with the diversion of water TO Devils
lake, would very materially decrease
the cost Of the diversion and would
probably bring 1t within the range Of
possibility
With the diversion Of the water to
NJ issiiS q Ea the diversion 81 ssficient
water to irrigate 1000 acres Of land