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 eifects 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withdrawn for use than to treat the sewage before its entry into 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 
sj^stems. 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. 
