Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1921-02-09
BIG RECLAMATION
PROJECT PROPOSED
Passage of Red Lake Basin Bill Would
Assure Protection for Vast
Area.
Expense Would Be Equally Shared by
those Benefited.

Minnesotans who have fought for
mare than decade to protect their
homes from repeated devastation have
begun at last the final sleeps to re-
claim an area larger than the whole
state Of Rhode Island from the fire.
quent foundations of the Red Lake
basin, which in single summer have
stripped 100000 from the agricul-
tural wealth Of the state.
With authority to construct con-
trolling works and to improve the Red
Lake river granted by the lower house
OF congress, similar permission from
the senate is certain within short
time, G. g. Selvig, president of the Red
Lake Drainage Conservancy district,
announced here last night. Final ap-
proval by the senate, he said, will mean
victory in a fight that has lasted for II
years, while settlers in portions Of six
northern Minnesota counties saw their
crops destroyed and their homes and
fields flooded at intervals Of two or
three years. Senate approval will
mean that the conservancy district can
20 ahead at once to reclaim virtually
100000 acres now constantly threat
ened by floods at the high stages Of the
Red Lake river and the Red lakes. Sale
OF bonds to finance the work already
has been authorized and engineering
data is almost complete.
On the strength of approval by the
house of representatives last week, Mr.
Selvig said engineers have been In
structed to complete the final surveys
necessary, with a view to beginning
work Immediately congress takes final
action.
The project involves:
i An. expense of $4,000, divided
among the government, the land
benefited, waterpower, concessions
and Indian lands.
Completing drainage projects, in
which 100000 already has been
sunk without providing sufficient
~ 8utlet4te flood waters.
Dredging Red Lake river and
building a dam and jetties at the
outlet Of Red Lake
Saving nearly 100000 acres
from threatened inundation at two
OF three year intervals.
Preventing repeated losses of ST.
100000 to $1,000, 900 in recurrent
floods. T.
Forestalling a threatened exodus
of population from parts Of the
counties affected. which Mr. Selvig
asserts is inevitable unless the con-
slant danger Of floods is eliminated.
The Red lake drainage basin includes
practically all Of Red Lake and. Pen
nington counties, half of Clearwater
county, half of Marshall and Polk conn-
ties, a third of Beltrami and small
part of Koochiching. The combined
population of these counties is 125,O55
according to the 1920 federal census.
For years settlers in the lower lands
OF the basin have faced the constant
peril Of rising waters, in region where
the rivers run within an inch or two
Of the level Of the land and where, at
high wafer, the currents break out of
the channels and wander across miles
Of farming country, until one stream
m1ngles at dozen points with another
whose normal channel is miles away.
Their. fight has been waged while the
rest of the state was scarcely aware
that within its. borders were citizens
.1nenaced by conditions popularity re
garded as peculiar. to Holland or the
lower reaches Of the Mississippi.
Ditch Systems Inadequate
Hinge systems OF bitches, costing &c..
.aAoe0, wind back and forth across the
ba1zn for more than 1000 miles. But
they have failed to meet the needs OF
the region because the river channel Is
too small to carry away the water
drained down from the uplands, E. Y.
willard, state drainage commissioner,
safd recently. The Red Lake river is
even too small to discharge the water
that normally flows into it, without
Oyerfowfng onto meadows and farms
along its course, he added.
The food ID July, 1919, caused loss Of
at least 100000 by destruction Of
farm crops alone, Mr.. Selvig said, and
foods In the preceding 10 years peri
odically caused damage Of several hun
bred thousand dollars. Scores OF resi-
dents were driven from their farms,
with the water rising above the first