6 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1916. 



course. The most important interior stream is the Rum River, 

 which drains the western half of the county and flows into the Mis- 

 sissippi River at Anoka. The eastern half of the county is largely 

 drained by Coon Creek and Rice Creek, which empty into the Mis- 

 sissippi River a few miles below Anoka. Numerous lakes and ponds 

 throughout the county serve as catchment basins or reservoirs and 

 for the most part connect with natural drainage ways, with usually 

 rather sluggish currents. Part of the northeastern section of the 

 county is drained to the east by Hurley Creek and its tributaries. 



Practically all of the county except the peat areas is well drained, 

 but there is an almost entire lack of erosion. Excess rainfall is 

 largely carried to the peat areas through natural drainage depres- 

 sions. The streams afford fairly adequate drainage for much of the 

 peat area in seasons of normal or subnormal rainfall, but in seasons 

 of unusually heavy precipitation the drainage is in.-.iifhcient to re- 

 move the excess water until late in summer. 



The various streams have not cut xevy deeply below the general 

 upland level. Even the Rum River and the Mississippi River flow 

 only about 5 to 25 feet below the upland. The water in both these 

 streams is comparatively shallow and has a fairly rapid current. 

 The cutting or deepening of the channels that is taking place to 

 some extent along the larger streams is largely offset by the redeposi- 

 tion of transported material, aided somewhat by artificial dams. 

 Except after heavy rains all the streams have comparatively clear 

 water. 



Water power is developed on the Rum River at Anoka and St. 

 Francis for grinding flour. At 'Coon Rapids, on the Mississippi 

 River, a large hydro-electric power plant is operated. Good water 

 for domestic use is abundant throughout the county. In many places 

 it can be obtained in driven wells at 15 to 30 feet below the surface. 

 Bored wells find a supply at about 100 feet. In the vicinity of Cen- 

 terville there are a few flowing artesian wells, which give excellent 

 drinking water. 



That part of the State in which Anoka County is included was 

 organized into counties by the first Territorial legislature in 1819. 

 In 1857 the boundaries of Anoka County were fixed almost as they 

 remain to-day, and Anoka was made the county seat. The population 

 increased from 5,108 in 1880 to 9,884 in 1890, 11,313 in 1900, and 

 12,493 in 1910. Approximately 77 per cent of the population con- 

 sists of native-born and 23 per cent of foreign-born Avhites. The 

 principal foreign nationalities represented are Swedish, German, 

 Norwegian, and Canadian. All the population outside the city of 

 Anoka, or 68.2 per cent of the total, is classed as rural. This gives 

 an average density of 18.6 persons to the square mile. The western 

 half of the county includes the greater part of the population. In a 



