76 REPORT OF THE No. 3 



Appendix 27 



Extract from Report and Field Notes of the Traverse of the Eastern Part of Lac 

 Seul and of Root River, District of Kenora and Patricia— J. S. Dobie, 1927. 



Levels were run up Root river and over the Height-of-land portage to Lake 

 St. Joseph. Actual levels were only run over the portages on Root river, the 

 difference in elevation between the portages being estimated. The possibility 

 of any serious errors resulting from this is very remote as there is no fast water 

 between the portages on Root river. The level of Lake St. Joseph was found 

 to be 1218.73 feet on August 18th, 1927, while the level of the water in Root 

 River at the south end of the Height-of-land portage on the same date was found 

 to be 1214.20, so that the diversion of the water of Lake St. Joseph to Lac Seul 

 and thence to the English river would be an easy matter, should it ever be con- 

 sidered advisable to undertake it. The portages run over two low gravel ridges 

 with a short muskeg between, and the highest point on the portage has an 

 elevation of 1239.00 feet. 



A detailed description of the country adjacent to the waters surveyed during 

 the season is hardly possible in written report such as this. As the survey pro- 

 ceeded, notes were trade on practically every traverse course as to the nature 

 of the country, character of the timber, probable distance back to the 1,172-foot 

 contour, and any other information which it was thought might be of interest 

 and which could be obtained without holding up the survey. This information 

 is shown in detail on the plan submitted herewith. 



Generally speaking the country is broken and rocky although in very few 

 instances do the hills rise to an elevation of more than a couple of hundred feet 

 above the level of Lac Seul. There are some fairly large areas of low-lying land, 

 particularly around the mouths of the streams entering Lac Seul. In nearly all 

 of these cases the water level of Lac Seul extends for a considerable distance up 

 stream and as the land at the mouths of these streams is invariably low-lying 

 and covered with clumps of willows, it was impossible to carry the survey up 

 stream to where any considerable rise in elevation would occur. These willow 

 flats were invariably covered with from three to four feet of water during the 

 summer of 1927, owing to the extreme high water which prevailed during the 

 season. 



The largest areas of low-lying land appear to occur north of the base line 

 run by O.L.S. Benner in 1927. At the mouth of Vermilion river, which is close 

 to O.L.S. Benner's base line, there is an extensive area of low-lying land, and it is 

 quite probable that the proposed raising of the water level of Lac Seul would 

 back the water up Vermilion river for a long distance. From the Vermilion 

 river north the country is generally much lower with, however, a few places 

 where higher rock ridges come out to the shore. Much low ground exists in the 

 neighbourhood of Root river. About two miles up Root river there is a rapids 

 with a normal fall of about two and a half feet, but during the season of 1927 

 this rapids was completely flooded out, and there was over a foot of water on the 

 floor of a building above the rapids. 



The timber along the shores of Lac Seul and other waters surveyed is largely 

 second growth of varying ages. There are some fairly large areas of young 

 second growth, resulting from comparatively recent fires, but there are large 

 areas where the timber has matured and the amount of commercial timber 

 tributary to Lac Seul is very great. The prevailing varieties of timber are jack- 

 pine, spruce, poplar, white birch and balsam. As one goes back into the woods 



