UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



BULLETIN No. 1017 



Contribution from the Bureau of Public Roads 

 THOMAS H. MacDONALD, Chief 



S>J ! S' m< &J'U 



Washington, D. C. 



PROFESSIONAL PAPER. 



■aVr^fLru 



March 31, 1922 



REPORT ON DRAINAGE AND PREVENTION OF 

 OVERFLOW IN THE VALLEY OF THE RED RIVER 

 OF THE NORTH. 



P. T. Simons, Senior Drainage Engineer. 

 Forest V. King, Drainage Engineer. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Introduction 1 



Summary of recommendations 2 



Red River Valley 3 



Surveys and other investigations 11 



Run-off 18 



Page. 



The flood situation 49 



Recommended plan of drainage 59 



Organization 86 



Conclusions 87 



Acknowledgment 89 



INTRODUCTION. 



That a comprehensive, drainage program is essential for the proper 

 development of agriculture in the valley of the Red River of the 

 North was recognized soon after farming began to be extensively 

 practiced in that valley, about 1870. In the spring melting snow 

 and rain combined are apt to cause high floods, which delay spring 

 planting, interrupt traffic on roads and railroads, and greatly hamper 

 business. During the summer heavy storms covering relatively 

 small areas often cause floods which do considerable damage. The 

 watershed has an area of nearly 36,000 square miles, of which 8,500 

 square miles lie within the valley. The initial effort toward a com- 

 prehensive drainage plan was made at a convention at Crookston, 

 Minn., in 1886, when it was arranged to prepare plans for draining 

 six Minnesota counties bordering on the Red River. 



Drainage in this valley is an interstate matter because outlets 

 are necessary into the Red River, the Bois de Sioux River, and 

 Lake Traverse, which together constitute the boundary between Min- 

 nesota and North Dakota, and a part of the boundary between Min- 

 nesota and South Dakota. In 1900, as a result of the disastrous 

 1897 flood in the valley, a tri-State drainage association was formed 

 among property owners and other parties interested in the welfare 



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