The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1933-08-24
PROPOSE$2,OOO,OOO
DAM FOR DELHI IN
STATES PROJECTS
Minnesota River Projects In
cluded in Commission
Works Program

If the national government ac-
cepts the advice of Governor Olson
and his commission on the Public
Works Program several Minnesota
river flood control projects will be
approved and federal money used to
construct them.
This work would be done under the
scheme to spend money on public
works to create employment for la
Dor, both directly on the jobs them
selves and in preparing materials.
One of the proposed projects is an
immense dam across the river near
Delhi for combined power and flood
control.
Two major flood control projects
are proposed on the Minnesota river
and two on the Red River of the
North.
Minnesota's tentative public works
program outlined but not yet approx
ed by the national administrators in
wolves the expenditure of approx
mately 200 million dollars of feder-
al public works funds.
As reported in the daily press, one
of the Minnesota river flood control
projects consists of diverting Whet-
stone river in to Big Stone lake at
Ortonville and conversion of Big
Stone lake into an impounding reser-
voir for protection of the Upper Min
nesota river from floods. The flood
waters stored in the reservoir can be
released to increase the navigable
stage in the Upper Mississippi river
below Fort Smelling, thereby making
possible future power development.
The MILESTONE river has it's source
in South Dakota and flows for it's full
distance, with the exception of about
a mile and half within that state
and empties into the Minnesota riv-
er in Big Stone lake. The MILESTONE
river is termed flashy stream that
in times of heavy rainfall sends wat
er down upon the heavy flat lands of
Minnesota covering the valley with
debris. The above project is estimat-
ed to cost over 100000.
The second project, consisting of
three developments, is estimated to
cost $2,500,000. One phase of this
consists of the construction of dam
at the foot of Lac qui Parle lake
which will divert the Chippewa river
into the lake and back the water
from Lac qui Parle lake upstream in
to Marsh lake, making the two lakes
one large reservoir. 1t is estimated
that such dam can retard nine bill
lion cubic feet of flood waters.
Dam Near Delhi Proposed
This also includes the development
of power site near Delhi for COM
bined power and flood control.
As an auxiliary to the Lac qui
Parle- Marsh lake reservoir a second
reservoir is suggested near New Ulm
in which can be stored the flood wa
tiers from the Cottonwood river and
other tributaries of the Minnesota
above the mouth of the Cottonwood.
This will permit the Blue Earth
river to empty into the Minnesota
river near Mankato as the only un-
controlled tributary discharging into
the lower valley.
Just what Washington thinks of
the various flood control projects in
this state remains to be seen. A vast
amount of federal public works funds
have been allotted to each state, and
much work will be done in Minneso-
ia of course. But each individual
project must be o. KID by Harold L.
Ickes, secretary of the Interior, who
is the federal public works admin
istrator. He realizes that many pro-
posals are unsound and burdensome
and must separate the good from the
worthless projects if he can detect
them. No doubt in state like Min
nesota with many unmanageable
streams and numerous lakes along
side percentage of the public works
funds will go to flood control work.