Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1917-05-22

culture, by Lewis A. Jones, senior
drainage engineer and c. f. Ramser
drainage engineer. 1t contains ten
blue prints showing the channels,
the watershed, water stages, dis
charge curve, maximum stages, pro-
files, proposed bikes and bitches of
the Kootenai river and the report
is supplemented with several type
written pages of tabular data upon
which the report is based.
was started in February, 1915, by
May and June of the same year
Engineer Ramser made gaugings of
the Kootenai river and the next
year, during the same months, gaug-
ings were made by Engineers Jones
and Kelly.
The report of the government en-
gineers contains a description of the
Kootenai river, description of the
watershed it serves, tells of the eli
mate of the district, of agricultural
conditions and of present drainage
conditions. The soil of the bottom
lands is infinitely described and is
claimed to be highly fertile. A table
showing the contents of the soil,
accompanies the description.
In the report it is stated that the
flood conditions of the Kootenai val
ley are caused by high water stage
J IN the Kootenai lake together with
the inadequate capacity of the pres
ent river channel. To obtain relief
the amount of flood water must be
reduced or the river channel must
be enlarged. Partial reclamation
could be obtained by closing all the
openings in the present banks of
the river. These banks now average
ten feet higher than the bottom
lands and the records show that on
an average of once in three years
the water overflows the tops of these
banks. If the openings in the river
banks were closed and the creeks
leveed from the river to the foot
hills the bottom lands could be cult
waited at least three out of four
years.
The report contains exhaustive
data concerning the amount of water
which has been carried between the
banks of the Kootenai river for sew
eral years back and shows what i'm
provements would have to be made to
take care of such flood waters as
came in 1911, 1912 and 1916. The
, study shows that all floods equal
or less than that of 1911 could have
been cared for by closing the open
ings in the present river bank.
Diversion Recommended.
The engineers state that further
protection could be secured by di-
verting the "run-off'' from about
1926 square miles of the upper Koo-
) tenai watershed into the Columbia
river at Canal Flats. The effect
would be to diminish the heights
and volumes of all floods in the
Kootenai river below the point of
diversion. Tables showing the re-
duction of the volume of flood water
: consequent upon the diversion of the
. Kootenai at, Canal Flats prove that
if the Kootenai had been diverted
last spring at Canal Flats the height
!. of the river at Boomers Ferry would
. have been 1913 feet instead of 1886
!. feet. If the river banks were closed
!. and the Kootenai could be diverted
!. at Canal Flats the engineers state
!. that floods could be expected in the
!. future not more than once in five
!. or six years.
!. If, in addition, the west arm Of
!. Kootenai lake were enlarged, the
!. river channel would then be capable
!, of handling the flow of water of al
!, floods which have occurred in the
!, last % years with the possible ex
!. ception of those of 1894, 1908 anC
(: 1916. Finally, the engineers state
:. THAT IF IN CONJUNCTION WITH
: THE DIVERSION OF THE UPPEI
!. lKOOTENAI RIVER AND THE EN-
!. LARGEMENT OF THE WEST Arm
: OF KOOTENAI LAKE, LEVEEs
:: WE'RE CONSTRUCTED ALONG
: THE RIVER, COMPLETE PROTEC
!. lTION COULD BE OBTAINED
:: AGAINST ALL SUCH FLOODS Al
: HAVE OCCURRED DURING TIL
= PAST % YEARS.
:: Eight different plans are discusse
:. in the report for the reclamation o
:. the Kootenai valley, four for com
:. reclamation. In all these plans inter-
!. or drainage and pumping plants ar
s. included.
= Eight Plans Submitted.
{: Plan No. calls for a system G
= levees along the river banks and IL