The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1917-06-21
BIG MEETING AT
BRECKENRIDGE TO
BATTLE FLOODS
Fl. A. Hard, State Engineer,
Reports Great Amount of
Work in Red Campaign
DISTRICTS ARE
BEING ORGANIZED
North Dakota Likely To.
Loan School Funds for
Drainage Projects

The next step in Red river reclama-
tion proceedings is meeting at Breck-
enridge Saturday of committees from
the states of North Dakota, South Da-
kota and Minnesota to perfect the
drainage district" there. Engineer j.
A. Hard of Fargo, has just returned
from Wheaton, Mimi, where, at the
request of the Minnesotans, he helped
organize the district" there. The en-
gineering department Of the North
Dakota state commission has been put
in charge of organizing these districts.
North Dakota Joined South Dakota
two weeks ago in launching the Lake
| Traverse district, which will have in
its bounds the important dam at White
Rock. just south of the state line. The
reservoir will, when done, stretch
south for 25 miles in the Lake Traverse
basin, and will offer storage against
the Mustinka river drains which have
been at the bottom Of much of Fargo's
flood troubles.
This pivotal district will also in
clude channel to take place Of the
indefinite slough" called, by courtesy,
''Bois de Sioux river" This enormous
ditch will drain the Traverse reser-
voir, and lower the water level about
Fairmount and White Rock. in fact in
much OF RichIand and WiIkin counties,
reclaiming big area of marshes which
were most valuable farm land for So
years. as we'll as draining actual
marshes.
Following the Breckenridge meet
the Richland county district will cir
culate its petition, which Attorney
Forbes OF Wahpeton and Mr.. Hard
are preparing. The new state law
creating the North Dakota reclama-
ton commission is being widely taken
advantage OF by the valley people,
since 10 places at their disposal free
advice on flood control drainage mat
ters. Its terms makes the engineer
adviser to county drain boards. The
law supplements the existing drain
age laws.
Great credit is due Rep. o. C. Neu-
man Of Wheaton, G. F. Ballard, J. H.
Bolton, Burt Kurtz of Fairmount, and
Messrs. Oscarson and Stoebe of White
Rock for their energy and public
spirit in pushing reclamation work,
which will be worth millions to their
localities.
Minnesota and South Dakota are
acting under the new Cliff law.
At Wheaton a tri-state committee,
consisting OF o. G. Neuman for Min
nesota, E. ]. Stoebe for South Dakota,
and III. A. Hard, chairman, for North
Dakota, was appointed to perfect the
Tor the government co-Opera-
ton, and meet it's local demands. The
was addressed bv above men
and by 1. L. Streeter, of the North
Dakota commission, on his recent trip
to Washington in the interests of the
work.
The war department promised Mr..
that there will be no inter-
ference with the work Of the state or
Of the department of agriculture in
the work on the Red.
Further in the light Of the new
state law, the attorney generals Of
fee is inclined to a far more liberal
Of the states legal ma
relating to what may be done
to control floods and straighten the
Red -Bois channels.
The state officials can see no more
use to put state school
funds than to loan them to use on
dams and channels, just as they are
already used in local drainage They
would thus serve to benefit millions
Of acres Of the worlds bread -bas-
ket" which has been unproductive
for three years.