Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1912-05-08


peals strongly 10 ones sympathies and un-
selfish impulses II Is in distress through
no iault OF It's own; and the state can af-
ford TO be generous. But you should not
forget that the money y0n are asked 10
donate IS not yours but that OF the people
sou represents aud that its proper ex-
pendttnre IS one Of the most sacred trusts
committed 70 your care.
PORTAGE LEvEE.
What l have just aid about the power
OF the state TO build retaining wall at
BACK River Falls applies also to the con
StFaetloh and repair of levees at Portage
~ saeh case the authority is the same.
IN the latter instance indeed two appro-
priations have already been made: one in
the year 1903 for $4,000 and the other
IN the year 1905 for $1,000.
~ Is now asserted that the levees built
V ~ improved by means OF these appropria-
( eiohs as Wei as the one constructed at an
carrier Tine by the federal government need
10 De strengthened and repaired.
special committee OF the senate and
the Assembly appointed by the legislature
OF 1907, Inspected these levees and made
| written report that contains much val
( aaole Information. II summarized the
facts as follows:
The Wisconsin river flowing southwark.
anu the Fox river flowing nOrthward. are
Out one ana 0ne-half miles apart at Port
age, the intervening ground being low and
hafshy. At an average stage Of water in
, poIn rivers, the Fox is about nine feet
lower than the Wisconsin. and In time of
hlgh water in the Wisconsin aud low wa
ter in the Fox, the difference is nearly
twenty feet This condition often exists
from the fact that the Fox. heading of to
the south and without forest cover. is
swollen by the early melting of the snow,
ana has receded TO a low water stage be
lore the effect of the melting snow in the
north and ON higher ,a,ld caused the rise
OF water In the Wisconsin. Later, how
ever, the Wisconsin rises while the Fox
is still low.
The fall IN the wisconsin is one and
one hait feet per mile n the sicinity of
portage; the fail in the Fox is a tribe
over four inches per mile in that locality.
The territory protected by these leyees
IS on the south side of the river, about
three miles wide and fifteen miles long
with perhaps an extension up the valley of
This is mostly in farms with the usual
farm houses, except a part (perhaps one
fourth) which is too wet for cultivation.
On the north side. the extent of pro-
tected country is about the same. In the
vicinity of Portage, and is also under SINH
lar cultivation Besides this the lower part
OF Portage city is exposed. An estimate
of the people that are dependent upOn
these leveeS for protection from damage
to more or less extent. is 1000: and the
amount Of property at over $4,000. 900.
Besides this the entire Fox river valley,
at least as far as Lake Winnebago. must
be considered, distance by river of about
one hundred miles, with its many villages
several cities. and vast manufacturing and
agricultural interests
The absolute necessity of maintaining
these levees for all time, and the import
ance of controlling the water flow in the
Wisconsin river are two facts that cannot
be too strongly emphasized"
Since this report was written the only
important Hood that has occurred was that
OF last fail Because the water of the
Wisconsin river is now confined to the
comparatively narrow channel between
these levees 1t then rose to the highest
level yet known and actually overtopped
the improved entertainments built in 1904
anu 1903. only prompt action and unre-
emily very narrowly prevented catas-
trophe in comparison with which the dam
age done at Black River Falls would be
very trifing indeed. when the water
of Portage and the surrounding country
prevented a general overflow by laying
bsgs of sand so as temporarily to increase
the height OF the embarrassment and with an
armed patrol on duty night and day pre-
vented it from being cut through by those
who feared damage TO their own property.
The strain then imposed upon these en-
bankments, composed as they are merely
Of sand, much of IL fine and insubstantial
has weakened the leveeS and caused them
appreciably to settle. IL appears to be the
unanimous opinion of competent observ-
ers that should there be a recurrence of
the high water of 1911 In the Wisconsin
river the Portage levees. thus weakened
and reduced in height. will prove insult
cient to confine the Wisconsin river with
in its banks and that there is a very great
danger that the accumulated water gath
cred from the 10000 square miles EN-
braced in the Wisconsin basin will then
pour into the narrow valley OF the Fox,
bringing destruction to dams. bridges,
farm houses, villages and cities and in
eyitable Injury to other property situated
all the way from Portage to Green Bay.
IL is manifest that the danger here
spoken of il due in a measure to the very
existence OF these levees themselves. Be
fore they were constructed the Wisconsin
river in times of high water quietly over
flowed its hanks and flooded the entire
marSbT area between Ii and the Fox river.
No harm was done then because the wa
ter spread evenly over a large section of
country and the current was nowhere sufii-
GENTLY strong to cut a chennel between
the two rivers. Upon the compiler on of
the Portage canal however by the United
States government this condition of equi-
librium was fundamentally disturbed and
new and highly dangerous factor was
introduced This canal is a ditch mile
and half long, fifty feet wide and deep
enough to accommodate volume of water
which pouring down an incline of twelve
feet to the mile would soon dig a channel
large enough TO divert the entire current
of the wisconsin river into the Fox Why
should IL not do sof Here is a vast tor
rent of water suspended as the chairman
of the Legislative committee has said from
nine to eighteen feet over the valley of
the Fox river waiting only to find its
way down an inclined plane of soft. allu-
vial soil. The government canal now fur
nishes the channel. Who can SAP how
soon IL win be utilized in way not orig
inally intended or oven dreamed Off This
danger is enhanced by the fact that solid
rock is nowhere found: the soil instead is
fine sand easily swept away by water
moving at a velocity such as would natur-
ally be attained here. To protect against
this danger the government levee was built.
But it affords only partial protection 1t
has been found inadequate more than once
and when oyerfowed the last time the
lower lock in the government canal washed
out also. All that remained then as q
barrier was the upper lock. The federal
authorities thereupon built a new lower
leek and raised the height OF the upper
lock three or four feet. Now however they
in repair these government works although
in food time their canal is the principal
source of danger.
What will 1t mean to have the Wisconsin
river diverted at Portage into the Fox
to find its way ultimately into the Atlantic
ocean through the Great Lakes instead OF
into the Gulf of Mexico as at present?
What of the probable loss OF lifef What
of the property destroyed? What of the
Industrial DISCRIMINATION both on the low
er wisconsin thus left with only a dry
river channel and in the valley of the Fox
flooded with this new supply of water?
The possible consequences are indeed
alarming
character have been built as strong as
the amount of money available for their
construction would permit. But we cannot
go on forever tempOrizing with situation
such as this. While ii may be necessary
now 10 provide against imminent danger
the foundations of permanent policy and
lasting security should also be laid. Mem
bers of the Joint Committee ON Finance
have visited these levees and will I'M
doubtedIy report their conclusions to you
feel IL TO be my duty to recommend
the appropriation of such an amount of
m 0ney may be necessary to protect the
city of Portage and the Fox and Wisconsin
river valleys from danger that appears
10 be imminent; and at the same time |
urge upon you the wisdom Of devising