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 practicallyno 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. 
