2 BULLETIN 1017, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



of the valley ; and in 1906 an international drainage conference was 

 held at Grand Forks, N. Dak., which was attended by delegates named 

 by the governors of the three States in which the valley is situated 

 and hj delegates from Manitoba, Canada. Various plans for obtain- 

 ing relief from floods and poor drainage conditions have been studied 

 and much time and mone3 T have been expended on them. A list of Fed- 

 eral investigations up to 1915 is contained in House Document Xo. 

 1666, Sixty-third Congress, third session. Aside from the Federal in- 

 vestigations, numerous State and local organizations have from time 

 to time taken action under the State laws. Some of the projects have 

 led to considerable legal contention. In addition to the fact that any 

 project affecting this watercourse requires the joint action of the three 

 States involved, the official designation of Lake Traverse and the Red 

 River as navigable waterways makes it necessary that any plans for 

 improvement that might affect the regimen of those waterways shall 

 receive the approval of the Secretary of War. 



The attention of the Bureau of Public Roads was first called to the 

 project in August, 1916. In October, 1916, the bureau agreed to 

 make a preliminary examination of the project provided the inter- 

 ested landowners should raise a fund to be used for paying certain 

 incidental expenses. In the summer of 1918 a fund of $2,300 was 

 provided by eight county boards. This fund was raised largely 

 through the efforts of Mr. Herbert A. Hard, of the North Dakota 

 Flood Control Commission. 



Field work on the project was begun in September, 1918, and was 

 completed in April, 1920. P. T. Simons, senior drainage engineer, 

 was placed in charge of the project. He was assisted in the field by 

 B. S. Claj^ton. Dan S. Helmick, and F. V. King, all drainage engi- 

 neers of the bureau, and by Paul Funderhide. drainage assistant. 

 F. V. King, Guy L. Smith, and W. C. Whitney, drainage engineers, 

 assisted in the preparation of the report. 



SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS. 



The protection of the valley of the Red River of the North from 

 overflow and the securing of adequate drainage for the low-level lands 

 in the valley require the construction of works — to prevent or to con- 

 trol overflow, and to provide an outlet for the drainage of the entire 

 watershed. Two interstate projects are recommended and several 

 State or local projects suggested. 



LAKE TRAVERSE-BOIS DE SIOUX PROJECT. 



In the upper portion of the watershed the Lake Traverse-Bois de 

 Sioux project, affecting three States, is proposed to function as fol- 

 lows: (1) By means of a detention reservoir in Lake Traverse rim-off 

 would be kept under control, and high-water discharge in the Red 



