New Ulm review., 1913-04-02
Hydraulic Engineer Declares
Cottonwood Power Plant
Is Impossible.
Watershed Too Small: Rain.
fall Too Light; Evapora-
ton Too Great.

According to the report of r. B.
flaming, hydraulic engineer of Min
neapOlis, just made public, the de-
velopment of the Big Cottonwood
river for power purposes is not feas-
ible. When some time ago the mat
ter of increasing the output of cleo
trical current at the electric light sta
tiOn was being discussed, some of our
business men in interviews published
at 1.-The time in the columns of the
New Ulm Review favored dam
across the Cottonwood river if such
plan were feasible and practicable.
For the purpose of setting this mat
ter at rest for all time some of our
business men concluded to secure the
services of an expert at their own
expense and engaged Mr.. Tanning
who has very enviable reputation
as hydraulic engineer. s
This gentleman with the aid of City
Engineer Minium made a prelimi-
nary survey of the Cottonwood on
March 21st and March 22nd and in
his report which he has just sub.
mitted he most emphatically says
that it would be inadvisable to ex-
pend the necessary money for further
f0 HI nh
on the Cottonwood river in the vicini-
ty of New Uln1.
Mr. flaming examined the river
from near its mouth to the Milford
bridge, distance of nearly eight
miles and finds that site opposite
Schell's brewery, in Outlots d and 40
would be the most favorable for a
water power development and that it
could be developed for, a net head of
so feet provided such a power were
financially feasible. At this point the
ally feasible. At this point the
length of the dam at it's top would be
1900 feet. He finds that the fall of
the river from Iberia is approx
nlately 1926 feet per mile. This
would make the bondage area for a
so foot dam flow back 60 miles. AS
suming the average width of the
pond to be three eights of a mile
and the value of the land overflow
ed at $500 per acre, the f1owage
would cost approximately $125,0OO.O0
on which the annual interest at six
per cent would be $500. On the as.
sumption that the flow of the Cotton.
wood river at the Alvin bridge, |
which during the year 1912 was
54.S5 second-feet. is an average flow,
on a 50-foot net head. this quantity
of water would produce 24S.75 net
continuous horse power on the tur-
bine shaft. If all this power could
be sold at $500 per horse power, the
gross income of the plant, during the
assumed ordinary low year. would be
s6,21S.75. This gross income, under
assumed ideal circumstances, would
not cover the interest on cost of flow
ed lands and would leave no revenue
to ospay for interest on cost of plant,
depreciation, operating expenses, re.
newals, kes, insurance, supplies,
dividends or sinking fund. So it is
quite apparent that the dam PROPOSE.
ton from the standpoint of dollars
and cents is absolutely out of the
question.
The Big Cottonwood river rises in
Black Rush lake in Lyon County and
lows easterly through Redwood and
Brown Counties, distance of about
me hundred miles, and the area of the
watershed above its mouth is 1900
square miles. The watershed is al. q
most entirely covered with drift,
rom the most recent ice invasion, to
depth of from one to two hundred h
eet. The drift rests upon the Gre r
aceous formation which is superim- Z
'osed upon the granitic rocks. The K
mt consists largely of boulder clay F
r till, which is impervious to water E
ut porous beds of sand and gravel 8
re frequently intermixed with the J
Ill and these, like the cretaceous s
ocks, are waterbearing. In its low N
course the river has cut through P
ne drift and into the cretaceous for. T
latiOn. Sleepy Eye creek is tho onlv n.