76 BULLETIN 1017, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Preliminary proceedings are under way in several counties in 
Minnesota to organize a special improvement district to raise funds 
among the property owners for carnung on the work. The coopera- 
tion necessary between the Federal, State, and local authorities is 
not yet fully arranged. 
The Red Lake-Red Lake River project is complete within itself 
and should be developed as a separate undertaking rather than as a 
part of the larger interstate Red River project. To attempt to com- 
bine the two projects would in all probabilit} T delay development in 
one or both without adding anything of value to either. 
THE EFFECT OX RED RIVER OF THE XORTH. 
The proposed increase in minimum flow in the Red Lake River 
would increase to some extent the low-water stages of the Red River 
below the junction of the two streams and the control of Red Lake 
would decrease the high stages at Grand Forks by about 1 foot or 
possibly 1J feet. The effect in lowering high stages of the Red 
River would be slight because the drainage area tributary to Red 
Lake is small as compared with that of the Red River above Grand 
Forks and because the relative effect of storage on high river stages 
decreases as the distance downstream from the reservoir increases. 
On account of the general distribution and more rapid concentra- 
tion of heavy run-off in the spring, the effect of the control of Red 
Lake in lowering high stages of the Red River would be more con- 
sistently noticeable at this season than during storm periods in the 
summer months. 
RED RIVER PROJECT. 
The problem presented by the Red River, considered alone, is 
essentially one of flood control. As an outlet for the drainage of the 
watershed it is capable, under ordinary conditions, of removing 
promptly the discharge of its various tributaries. It is only when 
excessive run-off occurs over all or a considerable part of the water- 
shed that flood stages occur in the Red River. A relatively small 
reduction of the high stages would be sufficient to prevent overflow 
and the resulting damage. As there is no practicable method of en- 
tirely preventing the water from reaching the Red River in flood 
volumes, it is necessary that some plan be developed for controlling 
the flow within the channel. 
There are four general methods of flood control or regulation 
which include practically all the devices employed for this purpose. 
These are the use of reservoirs, the construction . of levees, stream 
diversion, and channel improvement. Often a combination of two 
or more of these methods may be necessary. In each of the methods 
there are a variety of plans, differing in details of design and con- 
struction by which the results may be accomplished. 
