The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-01-17
OAKOTAS GREATEST DAMAGE
PROJECT IS THE MOUSE RIVER WORK

dredging work will be very extensive,
covering a distance Of nearly twenty.
five miles. The river bed ranges from
q half mile to a mile wide in many
places. and in high water 1t floods
back for a distance of several miles
each way. There Is much land that
will be reclaimed by this project that
Is without any actual value at the
present time. although rich and will
prove to be the best OF agricultural
property when freed of the surplus
water.
At the international boundary line
tho river narrows. aud from there to
North Amber creek, flows between
high banks in a comparatively mar
row channel. The effect of>this Is to
bottle the big supply OF water In
North Dakota giving it no ready
means Of flowing out From North
A...~or creek northward the condi-
ttons are entirely satisfactorily. there
being a very heavy drop in the stream.
and 1t will be quite able to carry off
the water Just as fast as it can be car
ried to 1t through the drainage chan.
mel.
- Eliminate the Bends.
are being eliminated by cutting
across bottom lands. In one place,
just north Of the Intel national boun.
Diary line, turns in the river compel a
now OF miles. but 1t will require
only two and a half miles to carry the
water with the new channel dug
across the bottom lands.
The big channel will be freed from
danger Of filling by sediment, as all
dirt removed is to be thrown back a
distance of fifteen feet. and by the
finNa II vtyoc1nnc AnSn,~ <0,.o.l a. ,l.,~
mel a grass sod will have heen formed.
Benefits Arc big.
Some idea of the benefits which will
accrue to land is shown in the figures
OF the drain board, which are cOnsid-
stances land Is now without value, and
will, with the dredging work complete,
attain q value OF at least $50 an acre.
For this increase the owner will be as
sessed $500 or less. that being the
highest assessment levied against any
of the lands affected. Under the
fifteen year bonding plan adopted by
Bottineau county, the owners of lands
of this nature will pay only about so
cents a year.
Benefits that will he derived from
the drainage work are many. The
county of Bottineau will bear a part
OF the expense. this action being taken
in view of the fact that the county will
benefit through increased revenue
through taxation Of the benefited
properties along the river. Townships
and school districts are affected In the
same manner, while even the Great
Northern and the 500 railroad will
make payments of $4,000 each toward
the general fund.
Amounts Paid by Counties.
In Bottineau county a total Of 49,
600 acres will he reclaimed, or bene-
fitted, and that county pays 100000,
and Mcffenry county, with 9.4O0 acres
benefited. pays $3.50
I'm Bottineau county there was no
opposition to the proposition said
Mr.. Trimhle today. In the. entire
district against which assessments
have heen made. opposition came
from less than -four per cent Of those
affe ed, which indicates how very
gene.al is the sentiment in favor OF
the drainage project"
1t has been estimated that the &C
tual cost Of removing tho dirt to Gre
ate the channel will cost about S1oS.-
600, the contract as awarded being for
the removal Of the dirt at the rate of
ten cents a cubic yard.
state Engineer T. r. Atkinson has
been in charge Of the engineering fea-
lures Of the drain.
Through the long fight in the courts
Geo. A. Bangs of this city represented
the drainage boards. and Mr.. Trimble
is here comforting With him with re-
spect TO the ffnal legal details.