88 BULLETIN 1017, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 
overflow conditions, especially along the Red River. The danger of 
overflows makes the farming of large areas impossible or hazardous; 
also it interferes with urban activities and with transportation. 
These unfavorable conditions can be eliminated by carrying out the 
improvements as recommended. 
The organization of these projects will require considerable time. 
Delays increase the probability that additional damage will be caused 
by floods. It is desirable therefore that action which will result in 
permanent organizations be started as early as may be possible. Co- 
ordinated effort on the part of the interested States and the Federal 
Government in the collection of data in regard to precipitation and 
run-off in the three States will result in securing much information 
of. value for preparing detail plans for the work and for operation 
after the improvements are completed. 
RECOMMENDED INTERSTATE PROJECTS. 
Two interstate projects are recommended, each to be handled either 
by an executive board made up of district officials from each State or 
else a commission appointed for the purpose which would have full 
authority. 
The tri- State Lake Traverse-Bois de Sioux project would include 
land in six counties, as follows : Roberts County, S. Dak. ; Richland 
and Cass Counties, N. Dak.; and Traverse, Wilkins, and Clay 
Counties, Minn. The Red River project would include land in 12 
counties, viz, Wilkin, Clay, Norman, Polk, Marshall, and Kittson 
Counties, Minn.; and Richland, Cass, Traill, Grand Forks, Walsh, 
and Pembina Counties, N". Dak. It is recommended that the two 
projects include all the territory along Lake Traverse, Bois de Sioux, 
and the Red River. 
In controlling run-off and stream-flow various interests such as 
land drainage, flood prevention, water power, navigation, and others 
sometimes overlap and conflict. In the two projects proposed herein 
no serious conflict is foreseen. Should any question as to priority of 
interest develop it is believed that land drainage and flood prevention 
will be recognized as of much greater importance than any other in- 
terests here involved. 
BENEFITS AND COSTS. 
Damages from floods and lack of drainage on large areas can only 
be approximated. It is conceded generally that large losses from 
these causes have been sustained in the Red River Valley. Accord- 
ing to conservative estimates the loss due to the 1897 flood alone was 
over $7,000,000. As the value and amount of property in the valley 
is constantly increasing the danger of much greater losses from floods 
and lack of drainage is increasing also. At present a flood equal 
