The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-05-27
'FLASHBOARD'
MAY SETTLE
LAKE DISPUTE
Engineer Suggests This Prac.
tice as Easy Way to
Settle Dispute
BY George Britt
NEA Service Writer

Chicago, May 27.--When the spring
rains flooded all the creeks back in
the country, thrifty millers used to
put "flashboards' along the tops of
their dams to enlarge their mill
ponds and save the water for sum-
mer.
IS This homely practice pictures the
solution of George M. Wisner, con-
sulting engineer for the sanitary
district of Chicago, for the cOntro-
versy over the city's intake of lake
water to carry of it's sewage.
Wisner knows the sanitary dis
trict and its problem. AS a youth
just out of engineering school in
1892 he helped turn up the 1lrst
shovelful of dirt for the canal
which connects Lake Michigan with
the Illinois River and reverses the
flow of the Chicago River.
Just vary the flashboards on the
milldam into larger regulating works
above Niagara Falls and therell be
no more complaint of low water"
declares Wisner.
Lowers Lake Levels
Here is the situation today. Chi
cago is taking about 10000 cubic
feet of water per second. 1t has
become a necessity for the city 3
health.
Sewage disposal plants are OPP
Grating and being enlarged, but they
cannot meet the need entirely for
years. Unless Chicago takes this
water, the river will carry it's waste
into the lake and pollute the drink
ing water supply.
This diversion at Chicago redu
ces by about 5 per cent the average
flow over Niagara Falls. 1t has
lowered the average level. of Lakes
Michigan and Huron, also by about
5.5 inches. The principal protest has
come from the Niagara power inter-
ests, Canadian and American, which
would use this water to turn tur-
bines.
The effect on navigation is that
lake boats cannot load quite so
heavily, each inch subtracted from
harbor depth meaning loss Of
about 100 tons of cargo from a big
freighter.
Regulating works which can be
placed in the river opposite Buffalo
will increase the year-round level
navigation and give more water for
power. The scenic grandeur of
Niagara Falls would not be impair
ed in the slightest.
Chicago Will Pay
| Chicago is ready to pay all the
bills and guarantee satisfaction. The
works would cost about $780, 900,
with about $4,000 year for main
tenance, reasonable sum to save
the $1O0,OOO,000 investment in the
sanitary canal
Lake Erie would become q great
millpond under this arrangement.
The lakes are at their highest about
June and July after the spring
rains, and lowest about February.
The regulating works would be
closed every day, affecting a max
imum reduction of flow Of 10000
cubic feet per second. They would
be thrown wide open in December
removing distractions during the
low stage.
Chicago's tentative plan, which
would be executed by army engi-
neers, provides for wall like a
breakwater three quarters of mile
long in the middle Of Niagara River
parallel to the current. Caisson-
like gates would be floated across
the channel on one side and sunk
This would effectively construct the
outlet from Lake Erie.
Valves in the gates would permit
various degrees Of flow. In winter
the gates could be entirely removed
las q precaution against ice jams