The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-01-18

would hare The effect Of equalising the
flow tor the entire year.
~. Gleinas There = . Canal
Alderman. Hugh Ryan was one Of
the speskess, and he declared that
there appeared to be another outlet
Of taking from the Red river the sup
ply It has heretofore received.
This new outlet, he said. was at tho
north end Of the lake. through swamp
land. and the water which flowed
through that canal ultimately reached
the Rainy river. and thence to the
Mississtppt river:
a feature with which he was not o n
versant.
Presents Rcd River Claims.
W. II. McGraw presented the Red
river situstion to Major Skunk. He
contended that the Construction OF a
series OF low dams along tho river
would bring about the creation Of q
normal water level that would make
navigation possible at all open sea
The fall of the water is about three
inches to the mile. hence each foot
Of dam would hold the water back
twelve feet would on that showing,
care for a big district. and Mr.. Nc
Graw believed the river presented no
very serious obstacles against darn.
ming, making such action quito easy.
He quoted figures to show the ton.
mage carried in 1909. the last year
when the river has been open for the
season. And he also commended that
the establishment OF. permanent navi-
greater tonnage.
Commercial Clubs Statement.
The statement Of, the Red river
commission OF the Grand Forks Com
mercial club vas presented by Chair.
man 2. F. Chandler, and it Is, in full,
as follows:
The extreme low water conditions
existing through the past year and a
half in the Red Lake river and the
Red river into which it fiows have led
to three very undesirable results.
First. navigation On the Red river or
the upper Red Lake river has been
impossible through nearly tho whole
time. Second. the water power plants
along the middle course of the Red
Lake river have been unable to run or
forced TO close down, during the great
er portion OF each. day or. month.
Third. the flow 81 the Red Lake river
at Grand Forks. where 1t is the course
Of water supplies for the two cities Of
~ AZ ~ GI0SL StdHu MS
and the sole dependence Of about 49,
600, people. has been so small as to
be tnsufttcient to carry properly the
organic impurities that naturally pass
into the streams and public health has
been endangered by the too great pol
luton of the stream: other cities fur
Their up the river also have suffered
similarly. In these three ways the
condition Of the river has been the
cause OF much public and private in
convenience. discomfort and loss.
"It is we'll understood that the un-
pretendented definciency of rainfall
In 1910, in which year the total an
nual rainfall was from ten to twelve
inches less than the usual or aver
age amount. Is at least in chief meas
ure Responsible for, this unfortunate
condition. 81. - -
IL General .%Conditiop.
1t is stated by some and denied by
others that the blocking Of, the upper
river by logs has affected the now IN
favorably. and also that the natural
now has been changed by the process
es OF ditch construction on the tribu-
taries. -. -
"Whatever the facts may he con-
corning this disputed question Of
whether there has been improper in
reference with the flow Of the. Red
Lake river. conditions seen on adj:
Joining streams make it.. absolutely
certain that IN itsgHatural ,indisturbed
condition 1he Red.fake fiver. would
haze been EXTERNALLY low this year,
probably lower than at any previous
time since white. men first settled the
country. Most adjoining streams have
this year been carrying only one-third
TO 'one-twentieth of their average or
normal annual flow. 1t is not 10 be
reasonably expected that there will he
any considerable natural increase Of
flow until a season Of ample rainfall
has occurred again.
The difficulties cused this year by
the low stage of the river have focuss.
ed public attention here on the mat
ter and great %anxiaSSy. has arisen that
constructed as will ensure against a
repetition OF these conditions in fu-
ture years.
Two Projects Uursed.
Two projects have been most fire.
qlently proposed for the future pre-
rention or 'a~melioration of such evils
as those now existing. These are the
construction OF controlling works at
the outlet Of Red Lake and the con-
struction of a series Of low dams and
locks On the Red river.
Red Lake Is second only to Lake
Michigan among all the freshwater
lakes within the United States. and
has a total area approximately equal
ling four hundred and forty square
miles. The entire outflow from it in
the twelve months Of an average year
is q quantity equal to only about a
foot and a half in depth over this vast
lake surface. ~
Afford Large Storage Facilities.
1T is supposed that the lake could
not he raised above highwater mark
without overlooking the surrounding
country SC as to greatly increase tho
evaporation losses. and perhaps also
It would fow. ACROSS the watershed
and be lost into other river basins il
raised much. However, by building
controlling works at the outlet Of the
lake and then dredging a few feet. i'd
ditional depth in the channel at the
outlet. and by extending the dredging
Ito a depth of a foot or two) five. ten,
or twenty miles downstream on ac-
count of the very small fall of the
river 80 a to provide an escape for
the water when the gates were open;
and to give q total storage depth OF
. hrS,k HN,,4 <Ax <,An -