OVERFLOW OF RED RIVER OF THE NORTH. 9 



greatly reduced. Yet when quantities of sewage are poured into 

 streams beyond their ability to dilute and purify, a nuisance and 

 menace is created and artificial means of preventing contamination 

 become necessary. Red River and its tributaries have in the past 

 carried enough water to dilute the sewage discharged into them, and 

 the sewer outlets have been separated widely enough to allow suffi- 

 cient exposure to the purifying effects of air, sunlight, and bacterial 

 action. Where stream water has been used for municipal water sup- 

 ply, the intakes have been far enough below sewer outlets to allow 

 partial purification, making it more economical to purify the water 

 withdrawn for use than to treat the sewage before its entry into 

 the streams. In a few cases conditions in the streams below sewer 

 outlets have become bad during the summer low-water periods, and 

 some attempts at sewage treatment have been made. Moreover, 

 trouble has been caused at places by water backing up into sewer 

 mains during flood stages. There is no doubt that with increasing 

 population and the growing use of the streams for water supply, 

 sewage treatment will become necessary in most of the sewerage 

 systems. Indeed, inspection of the streams during dry periods indi- 

 cates that such necessity will not be long delayed. 1 



Owing to the slight fall of the stream bed, the impossibility of 

 storage, the irregularity of flow, and the occurrence of long-contin- 

 ued low-water stages, the Red River is totally unsuited for econom- 

 ical water-power development. Conditions in the tributary streams, 

 on the contrary, favor such development. The rapid fall of 300 to 

 500 feet by which streams from both sides reach the central valley 

 seems to afford opportunity for considerable power development, yet 

 owing to light precipitation over the western part of the watershed 

 the streams entering from that side lack sufficient flow to develop 

 profitable, continuous power. A few small plants are in operation, 

 but extensive development is prevented by long periods of low flow 

 and lack of yearly precipitation great enough to provide the storage 

 necessary for continuous operation of power plants. It is on the 

 eastern tributary watersheds that most of the power developments 

 are located, and there the greatest possibilities for future develop- 

 ment exist. The annual precipitation is much greater than in the 

 western part and more favorably distributed through the year. The 

 streams have consequently a much greater and more uniform flow. 

 Many of the valleys have such slopes that by properly locating dams 

 sufficient water can be stored to provide flow enough throughout the 

 year for the profitable operation of power plants. Power has been 

 developed on the Otter Tail, Minnesota Wild Rice, and Red Lake 

 Rivers, and on certain smaller streams. At present there is in oper- 



1 Quarterly Journal of the University of North Dakota, Vol. IX, No. 3, April, 1919. 

 Elwyn F. Chandler. 



