The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1916-06-15
0PSAHL WRITES TO
SENATORS s|N.RECARD
TOREDLAkE FLOODS
Advises Them of Action taken by
the Bemidji Commercial l.
Club.
URGES WIDENINGs AND
DEEPENING OF CHANNEL
Red Lake at Present is More Than
Four Feet Above Normal High
Water Stage. "
URGES WIDENING AND
DEEPENING OF CHANNEL

J. j. Opsahl, representing the Be-
midi Commercial club, has written
to Senators Nelson and Clapp and
Representatives Lindhergh, Steener-
son and Volstead, requesting them to
take immediate action to curb the
floods in the Red Lake district. He
urges that the Red Lake river be
widened and deepened.
Above Normal.
The Red Lake is at present four
feet above it's normal high water
stage, causing it to back up differ
ent rivers and clog the outlet to the
large net of drainage bitches in the
Battle River valley as we'll as the
Shotley and Tamarac river valleys
The lands of several hundred settlers
have been flooded. :
Mr.. Opsahl's letter in part is as
follows:
Immediate Action.
'At the meeting of the Bemidji
Commercial club on Tuesday, June
6, the condition of the flood sufferers
in the Red Lake valley was thorough
ly discussed, and resolution was un-
animously passed deciding to ask for
the active cooperation of the Federal
government through the interior de-
partment, Indian department, war de-
partment and of the state drainage
department of the state of Minnesota,
and of the counties and land owners,
whether they be white or red, own
ing lands that are affected by the
present flood stage of the Red Lake,
for the relief Of these people (who in
ractuality are the real part of the
Federal government in that district. }
And as you have taken leading hand
in the opening up and development
of the thirteen towns, the eleven
towns and what was called ceded
Red Lakelands, under the Nelson act
of 1889, as we'll as the Red Lake
forestry bill of 1916, we wish to ask
you to take an active interest in find
ing the proper practical remedy for
the Strengthening, widening and deep
ening of the channel of the Red Lake
river from the outlet of Red Lake
to a point at or near Highlanding,
which will approximately (according
to the geological and state drainage
survey mean dredging work for q
miles, of which about II miles the
old channel can be used and about 10
miles of cut-offs should be made sc
as to provide the proper outlet and
rapid discharge of the water in years
like 1915 and 1916 of heavy SHOWS
and large rainfalls.
Farm Lands Raised.
by such lowering the channel o1
the Red Lake river, the farm lands
from Highlanding on both sides o1
the river, to Red Lake would be auto
matically raised, according to thu
depth of the lowering of the rive1
bed From Highlanding to Neptune
postotice, is district thickly set.
tied by thrifty farmers who have
been drowned out by the overflow o
the river in 1915, as well as this yea
in 1916, and the same condition af
fects the fertile prairie lands AM
meadows on both sides of the rive
from Neptune to Red Lake on tn
Diminished Reservation, and the low
.ering of the river is needed in ,orde
to find an outlet for lateral drainag
bitches from the north or south, boil
inside and outside of the reservation
in this stretch of 27 miles.
A Natural Reservoir.
1.-THE further object that must b.
gained is to arrange to lower the rive
so that the Red Lake level can b
lowered during the winter time a
least three feet, in order to provid