The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-09-20
REPORT ON WATER
!: CONSERVATION IS
ISSUED BY STATE
Numerous Sites Where Flows
May Be Impounded Discov-
cred During Summer

Field work of locating, surveying
and aiding In the construction O,
small dams as an aid to surface wa.
ter conservation in North Dakota car.
ried on this summer by the state en-.
gineer's department has come to 8
close.
A proclamation by Governor George
F. Shafer setting aside the week OF
Sept. "a to 30 as water conservation
week is expected to give impetus te
the dam project which will be con-
tinued from the engineers office here
On his reconnaissance survey of the
state, Professor Waldo Smith of the
state agricultural college at Fargo To-
Gated about 100 tentative dam sites
of which 26 have been surveyed by
two field parties. The work was car
ried on under a legislative appropria-
ton Of $4,000 for the purpose of con-
Quoting an investigation of surface
water conservation in North Dakota.
r. E. Kennedy. state engineer
launched upon program to see what
could be done along inexpensive lines
to actively promote and carry on work
in this field and as a result, decided
to foster the construction of commu-
nifty dams for recreational and sport
ing purposes and the encouragement
of construction of farm dams.
Many Sites Located
Under supervision of the depart
ment, Professor Smith has been &C
lively engaged in the work of locat-
ing feasible sites, determining what
communities have streams in their
vicinities that warrant being damned
to create recreational pools for bath
ing, hunting, fishing and skating, or
waterfowl breeding purposes, and TO
determine whether communities hay
ing such streams also have citizens
interested in damming the streams.
Smith said field parties have been
called in because lack Of funds makes
it impossible to do more OF the sur
veying at this time. Most of the dams
would be community projects, he said,
but two or three are in proposed or
existing state parks. For the sur
veyed sites. preliminary designs OF
dams, reports and estimates OF cost
will be or have been made, and Smith
hopes that by next June a fair pro-
portion of those designed will be COM
pleted.
Requests for surveys are coming in
almost daily, he declared, and a rec
ord of projects is now on file await
ing such time that the work can again
be actively carried on.
In addition to the support the state
engineering department has given
through surveys and designs to the
community projects, it has also been
encouraging the construction Of farm
dams.
Easy to Build
These farm dams, as rule do not
require surveys or special engineer
ing service, as they are usually built
across coulees or small streams with
out other cost than labor, Smith ex-
plained. It is not the expectation
that permanent dam may be built
across good-sized stream without
considerable experience or without
engineering survey and designs, ne
said, but that more or less temporary
dams will be built at once in such a
way that they will last a season or
two and, with maintenance. may last
many seasons. The department has
prepared bulletin on construction OF
this type of dam.
The jamestown chapter OF the 1zaak
Walton league has put in four dams
this summer across the jamestown
and Pipestem rivers, he said. The
chapter has one dam under construc-
ton and plans to put in three more
this fall.
At Strawberry lake on Labor day
the Velva chapter of the lzaak wal
ton league put in a dam across the
outlet of the lake to prevent fish from
escaping into lower shallow waters
where they froze in the winter.
At Arnegard. in Mckenzie county
the community put in a little dam
last fall which provides recreational
facilities, while at Van Hook and at
Great Bend, almost at opposite cor
ners of the state. the professor said
school boys put in small dams.
At Mandan this summer, the Lions
club sponsored the construction OF a
sandbag dam across the Heart river
later covering it with rocks. 1t holoS
back six or seven feet Of water.
Many Already Located
Although this work was started on
a general scale only this summer
Kennedy's department has cooperateo
with the state game and fish depart
ment and various local organizations
on a number of projects during the
last few years, including dams at New
England, Crosby, Silver Lake, Arrow
wood Lake and Lisbon.
1.-THE most casual observer has had
no difficulty in noting the decline OF
water levels and the retreating shore
lines in all parts of the state" Prof
Smith asserted. 1T is a matter o.
vital concern to this, primarily ag-
ricultural state, to do it's utmost WITH
its limited water resources.
I'VE speak Of water conservation
but possibly we should speak OF water
regulation as we have in mind moi
only damming the water, but so con-
structing the dams, at least on the
larger streams, that in case OF pro-
longed wet periods, the excess water
may be readily drained away. The
regulation and controlling Of force:
and elements of nature, thus reducing
uncertainty, is the primary task Of
the engineers"
Referring to water conservation
work, Smith said, I'VE have beer
m ade highway conscious, electric
light conscious, radio conscious, ever
bathtub conscious until the luxuries
of yesterday are the necessities OF to-
day, but what good are all OF then
without water? We must stop THU
snow and rain water from running
away every spring. We must conserve
It. we must dam it. save 1t. We neee
it badly. There is wealth and lifs
In It,"
Coll vnu,r live nOuItrV ant