80 BULLETIX 1017, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
The floodway should leave the Wild Rice River with a bottom ele- 
vation somewhat higher than the river bed, and should be provided 
with a concrete inlet sluiceway with control gates by which flow can 
be entirely closed off. By cutting the sides to a gentle slope the whole 
channel can be used for meadow or pasture land except during the 
short periods of a few days or weeks at rare intervals when it will 
contain water. Such use of the channel will be advantageous not 
only agriculturally but also as a means of channel maintenance. 
The portion of the Red River channel between the mouths of the 
Dakota Wild Rice and Sheyenne Rivers is rather restricted and badly 
obstructed in certain parts. Above Fargo it is somewhat larger than 
below but owing to greater obstruction has about the same capacity 
of flow. At present about 6,000 second-feet is the maximum flow that 
can be accommodated without overflow of' improved property. By 
channel improvement this can be increased to 8,000 second-feet from 
the mouth of the Wild Rice to Fargo, and. to. 7,500 second-feet from 
Fargo to the mouth of the Sheyenne. Of course the smaller figure 
governs in the design for relief (see fig. 3, sheets 7 to 9, inclusive). 
The rate of flow in this part of the river channel has exceeded 
7.500 second- feet in the past, and without doubt will do so in the 
future unless steps are taken to control it. It is proposed here, by 
diverting part of the flow of the Dakota Wild Rice River and by 
controlling the run-off from the Lake Traverse watershed, to limit 
the flow in this portion of the channel of the Red River to a maximum 
of 7,500 second-feet, which can be carried by the improved channel 
without damage to contiguous property. As the outlet of the Wild 
Rice into Red River is but a short distance above Fargo, a large 
reduction in rate of discharge from Wild Rice will result in prac- 
tically equal reduction in rate of flow in the Red River at Fargo and 
just below that point, where the channel capacity is restricted. 
Considering first the summer flood flow (see Table 5). this is 
estimated at a maximum of 9,652 second-feet at Fargo ; the probable 
maximum for the Wild Rice is 3,315 second-feet ; for the Red above 
the mouth of the Wild Rice, 6,656 second-feet; and for the small 
streams between this point and Fargo, 520 second-feet. Assuming 
that when the flow at Fargo reaches the maximum of 9,652 second- 
feet the Wild Rice is contributing its maximum of 3,315 second-feet. 
the flow at Fargo can be reduced to less than the allowable 7,500 by 
diverting 2,250 second-feet from the Wild Rice through the flood- 
way. On the other hand, if the Red River above the mouth of the 
Wild Rice, and the small streams between that point and Fargo, 
were all flowing at their maximum rates, the Wild Rice would be 
contributing only 2.476 second-feet, and by diverting 2,250 of this 
through the floodway the flow at Fargo would be kept within the 
