New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1917-01-17
TO DEVELOP POWER
IN FLOOD CONTROL
! Continued from 1st. page)

bring 1t ABOUT requires q campaign &Ol
education that will bring home to every
citizen, not only OF those states, but OF
the nation, the great possibilities along
this line, and this must be systematic,
follow-up campaign, backed UP by the
power and pressure of united public
sentiment.
81 am here to tell You that this is the
follow up campaign and we are going
to follow it ups until our efforts are
crowned with success .
Mr.. Kaercher said the campaign was
inaugurated September 20, 1908, at 4
meeting held in New Uln, under the
auspices of the Minnesota River I'm
provement League. The efforts of the
instigators were confined to the Mime
sofa River Valley alone and embraced
a proposed system of reservoirs, in
Guiding Big Stone Lake, Lake Lac qui
PARE and a proposed reservoir at Red
wood Falls. The primary object then,
as we'll as now: was to save and redeem
the valuable lands Of the Minnesota
River valley. At that time, and in fact
up until a recent investigation of the
flood conditions of the Ohio river, our
best engineers held that such reservoirs
could not be made a factor of any con-
siderable consequence in controlling the
flood waters of the Mississippi river.
But the commission appointed to in
vestigate the Ohio river and it's tribu-
taries with view to flood control, not
withsSanding the fact that they started
out with prejudice against the reservoir
system, after careful examination, I'M
aninously decided in favor OF such
control, and, in fact, as the only practical
means by which it could be accomplished,
and are now carrying it out at an ex-
pense, of about ST. 100000.
System is Indorsed
The reservoir system is Endorsed by
the best and most eminent engineers of
the United States, as means of best
controlling the floods, said Mr.. Kaercher,
as may be seen by reference to 'sSenate
Document No. $50, Sixty-fourth con-
gress, first session." These, endorse
ments, were submitted in connection
with the Newlands bill, September Z,
1916. President Kaercher requested the
delegates to send to their congressman
asking for copy of the document, and
to study it WE'LL 1T is the last word in
River Regulation, Flood Control and
Water Conservation and Utilization
and should be published broadcast z he
said.
In the document referred to Lyman E..
Cooley, projecting engineer Of the Chi
cago sanitary and ship canal, strongly
indorses the reservoir system and among
other things says:
~Our surplus waters are next in value
to the land; they are self-replenishing,
renewing themselves in the seasons and
thruout the years; they are part of the
public domain which has never been
segregated, and should be forever held
for the use of the people in common.
From the point where they come to
earth, IN their descent to the sea, they
develop energies many times greater
than can be produced by high-grade
engines from all the coal mined. Thru
water conservation it should be prac-
ticable to realize actual horsepower in
excess of what can be produced by all
yhe coal mined in the United States to-
day. .%..
ssWater conservation demands storage,
and 4 to 6 per cent of the area in reser-
vo;rs will equalize the flow Of streams.
Floods will be abolished or mitigated,
thus retaining the wealth in alluvial
lands along the watercourses and making
the valleys salubrious. The flow OF
streams will he equalized and made
navigable thruout the year, even to the
remote reservoir sites, and by improve
ment of these natural channels and by
connecting the water systems at vantage
points, a great transportation agency
will be evolved as complement to om
railway system, and as necessity fol-
our larger growth and complete develop
ment.''
Development Fourfold.
The developments proposed by thu
'Tri-State Flood Control Association
President Kaercher said,. are fourfold
reclamation of the lands of the valley
waterpower, fisheries and transportation
Continuing, President Kaercher sail
in part: According to the Geological
Survey the complete control Of the water
of the United States represent potentia
of over 100000, 900 horsepower, and it i
estimated by making due allowance 70
necessary declivity Of streams, for navi
cation and for other beneficial uses,