Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1921-11-09
DISCUSS LOWERING !.
LEVEL OF RED LAKE
Red Lake Drainage and Conservanc,
Board Considers Establishing
Lake Levels y. =

AZ meeting OF the Red Lake Drain
age and Conservancy Board was held
at Bemidji Oct %, C. G. Selvig, chair
man of the board presiding.
The meeting was called for the DUR
pose of hearing arguments for the es-
tabl1shment of maximum and min
1mum water, level for Red Lake. The
present level Of the lake is at an al
titudet Of 11745 feet, which varies in
wet weather from 1177 to 117O feet.
1t IS proposed to dredge and straigh-
ten Red Lake River from it's source
to H1ghlanding and to build dam
at the outlet of the lake so as to
hold back the waters Of the lake in
Hood seasons and let them out grad
ually during dry seasons, thus main
tanning steady flow of water in the
river and preventing the overflow and
damage Of lands further down stream
in time of floods. e..
There was considerable diversity Of
opinion as to what ought. to be the
maximum and minimum lake levels.
Some farmers present urged that the
lake be lowered to 116S feet with /,
maximum level of I'LL feet, claiming
that unless that is done it will be i'm
possible to drain the low lands into
the lake.
Drainage Commissioner Willard, and
Adolf F. Meyer, one of the greatest
authorities in the United States on
drainage, replied, stating that the
careful surveys showed an acreage not
exceeding twelve thousand acres adj
jacent to the lake, were lower than
five and a half feet above the present
level
TO lower the lake level to 116S
would require a deeper dredging of
the river at a prohibitive expense
which would have to be charged ag-
ainst the small area benefited. Any
level lower than ITO would be i'm
practicable and the maximum level
must be at least 1174 as a fluctation
Of at least four feet was necessary
to provide a uniform flow of the river
Representatives of the State Game
and Fish Commission stated that any
material lowering of the lake level
! would uncover the bars on which the
white fish now spawn, greatly injur
ing the fishing industry. This year
the Indians have caught and sold $40
GOO worth OF fish.
Engineer Goddard described the
lake. it's depth and location OF sane
bars, and stated that a lowering tt
| 1l6S would result in q beach about S.tlt
! liz ..i- * Il o,4x,-laf II
width. with pot holes and weed!
growths. Dan Shaw told of the un
| satisfactory results obtained by the
recent draining Of Mud Lake an(
! Thief Lake. iii Marshall county; O.
the beauty, of Red Lake and its at
traction for tourists in the future.
/ G.. T.. Boughton told of the man!
| undeyeloped water powers on the Ret
Lake river, which with proper lax
! control. might furnish power for
great manufacturing northwest.
President ,Selvig of Crookston assur
ed the meeting that the Board of Di
rectors composed Of four farmers an
himself, head Of the farm school, i'll
tended to give every interest fair con
sideration and that the decision or tn
board on all matters would be impair
j tial,. and intended for the creates
i good OF the greatest number.
i Major Marks and Superintendent
i Cross told those present that II tn
) levels decided upon corresponded wit
the former recommendation OF tn
Government engineers, there would b
Il no delay on the part Of the &Goverl
!, ment in approving the plans.
Il This is of great Importance. as II
!, nlan of construction of the dam G
} dredging of the river within the IL
dian reservation can be put into e
! feet until it has been approved by tn
War Department and the Departmer
Of Interior. ..,.. 81.
1 Also it is expected that the India
{ lands will bear about one-third OF tn
!!expense of the proposed improvement
} but they cannot be assessed except q
l agreement with the Secretary OF. II
terror at Washington.
. VOTJEY AND BASKET BALL