OVERFLOW OF RED RIVER OF THE NORTH. 79 



undertaken later. Furthermore, any local levee projects that may be 

 taken up should be based upon some comprehensive plan in order 

 that they may conform to possible future work of this nature. 



DIVERSION FROM DAKOTA WILD RICE RIVER. 



There are numerous places in the watershed where stream diver- 

 sion in one form or another can be advantageously employed. Of 

 such cases there is but one, that of the Dakota Wild Rice River, 

 where this method can be employed for directly effecting an improve- 

 ment of flow conditions in the channel of the Red River, in conjunc- 

 tion with other measures recommended in this report. Projects of 

 this kind which directly affect the tributary streams only, are not 

 here considered except in a general way and should be taken up under 

 the laws of the States in which the streams are situated. 



As the Red River lies in the center of a broad valley flanked on 

 both sides by land of considerable height, it is impracticable to divert 

 any of the flow in the main stream to other outlets. Neither is it 

 possible to divert the flow of any of its tributaries away from the 

 Red, except in the case of Lake Traverse watershed and this plan has 

 been rejected for sufficient reasons as a result of previous investiga- 

 tions. Auxiliary channels parallel with the river would be more 

 expensive than the levee construction necessary to gain equal results, 

 and are quite impracticable. The one remaining applicable plan in 

 the way of stream diversion, is that of relieving overloaded sections 

 of the channel by changing the locations of the outlets of tributary 

 streams. Such changes in location are possible in various stream out- 

 lets along the river, but under present conditions and in view of 

 results obtainable by channel improvements of the Red, the only such 

 change that will produce results warranting the expense involved is 

 a change in the location of outlet for a part of the discharge of the 

 Dakota Wild Rice River during flood periods. 



Recommendations in this connection contemplate a wide, compara- 

 tively shallow floodway with a capacity of 2,250 second- feet, leaving 

 the channel of the Wild Rice River a short distance above the town of 

 Wild Rice, N. Dak. (see fig. 3, sheets 7 and 8), following a north- 

 westerly direction to the channel of the Sheyenne River, and entering 

 the latter at some favorable point. The exact location of the flood- 

 way should be determined by a more detailed study of the locality 

 than has yet been made. The length of the floodway would be about 

 7 miles. In addition it would be necessary to improve the channel of 

 the Sheyenne River from the point where the floodway enters to the 

 mouth of the river (see fig. 3, sheets 8 and 9), providing for a flow 

 considerably in excess of that which it now can carry. This can be 

 accomplished by clearing the channel of obstruction, no excavation 

 being necessary. 



