OVERFLOW OF RED RIVER OF THE NORTH. 3 



River would be appreciably reduced in that part of the stream above 

 the mouth of the Sheyenne River ; (2) by the construction of drainage 

 channels in the territory below the reservoir complete drainage of 

 112,370 acres of land would be made possible. 



The estimated cost of improvements in this project is $1,400,000, 

 approximately $12.50 per acre of land for which drainage outlets 

 would be provided. 



RED RIVER PROJECT. 



In the Red River Valley proper, below the junction of the Otter 

 Tail and Bois de Sioux Rivers, the Red River project, affecting two 

 States, is proposed. It would function as follows : As a result of im- 

 proving the river channel and constructing a flood by-pass channel, 

 the discharge capacity of the stream would be so increased as to lower 

 the high- water stages by 5 feet or more. In order to secure these re- 

 sults at the international boundary it would apparently be necessary 

 to continue the channel improvements for about 30 miles (measured 

 along the river) beyond the boundary. The estimated cost of im- 

 provements in this project is $4,000,000, or an average of $8 per acre 

 for 500,000 acres of land on which overflow would be prevented. 



The completion of the two projects would render the State bound- 

 ary streams capable of affording outlet drainage for the entire Red 

 River watershed. Moreover, high-water stages would be reduced by 

 5 feet or more, so that practically no overflow would occur. 



STATE AND LOCAL PROJECTS. 



Serious overflow occurs along the tributary streams on both sides 

 of the Red River and extensive areas need additional local drainage. 

 In planning the above improvements due allowance has been made for 

 the effects of such future local works. No plans nor estimates in detail 

 for projects along the tributaries are submitted because no interstate 

 problems will be involved. A summary of the Red Lake project, as 

 proposed by the Corps of Engineers, United States Army, is, however, 

 included. 



THE RED RIVER VALLEY. 



In this report Lake Traverse (see fig. 1) refers to the lake area 

 lying along the State line between Browns Valley, Minn., and White 

 Rock, S. Dak. Bois de Sioux River refers to the watercourse ex- 

 tending from the outlet of Lake Traverse along the State line to 

 Wahpeton, N. Dak. The Red River proper is formed by the junc- 

 tion of the Bois de Sioux River and the Otter Tail River at Wah- 

 peton and extends northward to Lake Winnipeg in the Province of 

 Manitoba, Dominion of Canada. It crosses the international boun- 

 dary just north of Pembina, N. Dak. 



