Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1916-03-22
BIG CANAL PROJECT ON
WESTERN STATE line
Plans Being Made to Connect
Traverse and Big Stone and
Make Reservoir.

The project to unite Traverse and
Big Stone lakes by a canal to provide
drainage for Red River people and
control the headwaters of the Mime
sofa has been revived by reason, no
doubt, of the immense quantities of
melting snow this spring. The Wheat
on Gazette-Reporter has the following
to say in the matter:
"The deplorable situation which
confronts White Rock and surround
ing territory during periods of high
water has become unbearable and sew
eral months ago the people there set
about to find some means of relief.
They first started out with the plan
Of dredging canal from Traverse
Lake to the Red River at Wahpeton.
That plan not only met with spirited
opposition from people whose prop
erty and business would be injured
by draining Traverse Lake, but there
was serious doubt that it would fur
nish desired relief, as the fall from
White Rock to WAhpeton is very
slight and there have been times in
the early days when ice jams in the
Red River have caused the water to
flow south into Traverse. The more
that the northern outlet plan was in
vestigated the less hopeful it appear
ed, and attention finally turned
to the old proposition of connecting
the two lakes and permitting the sur
plus water of Traverse to find an out
let through Big Stone.
IS. E. Oscarson and P. c.. Dahl of
White Rock recently made a trip to
Washington to confer with the gov
eminent officials and with the SEN
ators and representatives from North
and South Dakota and Minnesota.
They met with encouragement on ev-
cry hand and were given assurance
that the national government would
undoubtedly undertake the work if
the plans are confined to actual needs
and preliminary survey shows the
scheme to be practical. The gentle
men were advised to return home and
get the movement started at once in
order that an appropriation for this
preliminary work can be secured at
the present session of congress.
I'm compliance with this sugges-
ton a meeting was held at Graceville
last Saturday and was attended by
delegations from White Rock, Wheat
on, Browns Valley and Ortonville.
The situation was discussed at length
and a general outline of the work
agreed upon. The plan as outlined
was sent to Senator Sterling of South
Dakota who will prepare and intro
duce bill providing for an appropria-
ton to cover the cost of prelimi-
nary survey, and with the three
states back of it there is little doubt
Of the passage of the bill.
"Under the plan as discussed it is
proposed to dyke the foot of Big Stone
at Ortonville diverting the waters OF
the milestone river thus making that
lake a reservoir for empounding the
water during flood periods and thus
preventing the disastrous floods that
now infiict so much damage along the
Minnesota Valley. From the head Of
Big Stone to the head of Traverse a
canal is to be constructed Of sufficient
width and depth for navigation, anG
locks will be constructed at Traverse
to permit the raising Of boats to the
water level of that lake, thus estab
fishing, at slight cost seventy miles
of navigation. A spillway will also be
provided at this point so as to permit
the waters of Traverse, in time Of
flood, to pass through the canal into
Big Stone, instead of flowing north
and flooding the territory between
White Rock and Wahpeton as it does
now. At the foot of Traverse, al
some point this side of White Rock
another dyke will be built to prevent
the flow Of water to the north and il
will then be possible to ditch and
drain the hundreds of acres of lane
there that are now practically value
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