Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1912-05-07

the Assembly appointed by the legislature
of 1907 inspected these ievees and made
a written report that contains much val
liable information. 1t summarized the
facts as follows:
The Wisconsin river flowing southwark.
and the Fox liver flowing northward are
but one and one-half miles apart at Port
age, the intervening ground being low and
marshy. AT an average stage of water in
lower than the Wisconsin, and in time of
high water in the Wisconsin and 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,
and has reeeded to low water stage be-
fore the effect of the melting snow in the
north and on higher land 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-h half feet per mile in the vicinity of
| Portage; the fall in the Fox is a trifle
over four inches per mile in that locality.
The territory protected by these leyees
is, on the south side of the riyers about
three miles wide and fifteen miles long.
with perhaps an extension up the valley OF
the Baraboo river.
This is mostly in farms s7ith the usual
farm houses, except 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
NitAuit9 VI IOELdbt, ana IL also uDueT Slul-
| lar cultivation. Besides this the lower part
of Portage city is exposed An estimate
OF the people that are dependent upon
these Ieyees for protection from damage
to more or less extent is 1000; and the
amount OF property at over $4,000, 600
Besides this the entire Fox river valley
at least as far as Lake Winnebago must
be considered, a 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 leYees 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 food that has occurred was that
of last fall. Because the water of the
Wisconsin river is now confined to the
comparatively narrow channel between
these levees it then rose to the highest
level yet known and actually overtopped
the improved embellishments built In 1904
and 1905. Only prompt action and unre-
hitting vigilance prevented-and appar-
trophe in comparison with which the dam
age done at Black River Falls would be
very trifiing indeed When the water
reached the top OF the levees the people
of Portage and the surrounding country
prevented a general overflow by laying
bags of sand SO as temporarily to increase
the height of the embankment 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 it fine and insubstantial
has weakened the levees and caused them
appreciably to settle. 1t 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 confne the Wisconsin river with
/ in IRIS hanks and that there is a
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
| evttable injury to other property situated
all the way from Portage to Green Bay.
| 1t Is manifest that the danger here
| spoken of Is due in a measure to the very
existence of these levees themselves. Be
| fore they were constructed the Wisconsin
/ flowed its banks and flooded the entire
| marshy area between it and the Fox river
No harm was done then because the wa
| ter spread evenly over n large section OF
country and the current was nowhere sufii-
GENTLY strong TO cut a chennel between
the two rivers Upon the completion OF
the Portage canal however by the United
States government this condition of equi-
librium was fundamentally disturbed and
a new and highly dangerous factor was
introduced. This canal is ditch a mile
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 it not do 500 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 govern ment canal now fur
ntshes the channel. Who can say how
/ soon it win be utilized in way not orig
| inally intended or even dreamed of? This
| danger is enhanced by the fact that solid
| rock is nowhere found the soil instead Is
/ q 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 leyee was built
But it affords only partial protection. II
| has been found inadequate more than once
and when Overflowed the last time the
/ lower lock in the government canal washed
out also. All that remained then as
| barrier was the upper lock. The fedora
| lock and raised the height of the upper
| lock three or four feet. Now however they
absolutely refuse longer to improve or keeT
| in repair these government works although
in flood time their canal is the principal
| source of danger.
| What will it mean to have the Wisconsin
river diverted at Portage into the FoS
| 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 life? What
of the property destroyed? What of the
| Industrial disorganization both on the low
err Wisconsin thus left with only a dry
| river channel and in the valley of the Fox
I flooded with this new supply of water;
| The possible consequences are indeed
| alarming.
| The present levees though temporary, In
| character have been built as strongf as
| the amount of money available for their
! construction would permit. But we cannot
! go on forever temporizing with a situation
such as this While it may be necessary
/ now to provide against imminent danger
the foundations of a permanent policy anC
| lasting security should also be laid Mem
| bers OF the Joint Committee on Finance
! have visited these levees and will un.
! doubtedly report their conclusions to Won
the appropriation of such an amount o.
money as may be necessary to protect th,
city of Portage and the Fox and Wisconsin
river valleys from a danger that appear:
I TO be imminent; and st the same time
urge upon you the wisdom of deviSinf
without delay some plan for securing tn,
permanent safety of life and property il
this part Of the state. and tho distribution
OF the attendant expense in a way that al
/ viii recognize as equitable and fair.
/ WATER POWER REGULATION
Among the important laws enacted a
the last legislative session was the so called
water power bill, chapter $50 of the Law.
| OF 1911 Its passage was vigorously op
posed by the owners of water powers ant
its validity was later challenger in tn,
courts. Recently in a number of separate
/ actions tried together and commonly re
/ ferred to as the water power cases. i
| was held unconstitutional in part TIL,
subject with which the invalid portion o