New Ulm review., 1922-05-24
Strong Sentiment For Dam.

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Strong Sentiment For Dam.
Intensive discussion of the conser-Y
vancy dam project on the Minnesota,
river at New Ulm the past week has
developed growing sentiment in this
city in favor Of the proposal. provided
that the future welfare of the city is
not jeopardized. In short, the citizens
of New Ulm feel favorable toward the
plan put forth by the state engineers
if it does not result in a fuctuating
river or lake level that would mean
high water three or four months a
year and mudbanks and swamps
thereafter.
The Minnesota river is shallow at
this point, as along much of its course,
and is now at a mean level Of about
795 feet above sea level. The proposed
dam at this place would result in a
lake about $40 feet above sea level.
Provided the brush and trees were re-
moved and there was assurance of
maintenance of a constant lake level,
many New Ulm citizens feel that it
would be an asset to the city, in that
it would add to the pleasure of OUT
door life here. There would be a
beautiful lake, with possibilities in the
way of park, bathing beaches, boat
ing and aquatic sports. That such
lake would add to the artistic beauty
Of New Uln is unquestioned, but the
lake would have to be maintained at a
certain minimum level throughout the
year.
Viewed from a purely utilitarian
standpoint engineers point out that it
would be of immense value to. this
entire section of the state. The pro-
posed dam would result in flooding per-
manently about 1000 acres of land
that is flooded now at certain seasons
of the year and rendered less valuable
by reason of that fact, but would save
from flooding about $4,000 or 10000
acres of land that would be rendered
far more valuable than it is today.
Much land in this section has been
saved and rendered more valuable
by drainage methods in recent years
and the present project would add
thousands more Of rich acres to the
tillable soil of this section. .
The fact that engineers point to the
New Ulm site as practically the only
feasible one and state that if this
does not go through. the entire pro-
gram may fall fiat, adds all the more
interest to the discussion. To build
elsewhere would prove more expensive
and far less fruitful it is pointed out.
Pretty definite assurances have been
given that permanent lake could
be created here and maintained in
such manner as to Fbe a valuable as
set to the city. Under these circum-
stances the project is worthy of
timely and serious considerion.
In the Minnesota river valley basin
as elsewhere man has tampered with
nature to such an extent by removal
of the forests SO that floods are in
evitable. Drainage projects carried
out in recent years have further ac-
centuated an already serious situation
by the, construction of great bitches
which lead flood waters into the river
almost instantly after every heavy
rain, resulting in disastrous floods.
Something will have to be done to
conserve the water in basins or lakes
or there will be greater food menace
in the future than in the past. The
proposed dam at New Ulm is right in
line with conservation work that will
have to be undertaken in the near
future by the state, nation and local
communities.
The Review would like to see the
project carried here out, provided it
is done with such reservations as will
safeguard the business, health and ar
tistic interests of the city of New Ulm.
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