136 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. 
all the surplus water beyond the needs for navigation purposes. 22 
Agitation continued for years in the attempt to induce Congress to 
complete the work already begun. The governors of four states 
called a convention which was held at Prairie du Chien in 1868. The 
delegates sent a memorial to Congress declaring that the ‘ ‘ immedi¬ 
ate opening of said channel is demanded by the interests of the 
people of the entire country; the work is one of national import¬ 
ance, required as a channel of commerce, as a ligament to bind to¬ 
gether the states, in securing national unity and as a defense in 
case of war.” 23 Between 1866 and 1875 a most thorough investi¬ 
gation of the problem was made by Major G. K. Warren for the 
government. His report, issued in 1876, is very full and con-, 
elusive. It contains a short outline of recommendations, made be¬ 
fore, and the work accomplished up to that time, as well as the 
results of his own work and his conclusions. Major Warren spent 
much of his time in a detailed study of the Wisconsin River for 
he realized that the work previously done was more superficial here 
than along the Fox River. It is true that other engineers working 
either for the state, the two private companies, or for the govern¬ 
ment had made preliminary or reconnaisance surveys. Commis¬ 
sioners Croswell and Richardson as well as Mr. J enne believed that 
the Wisconsin River would be improved by the construction of 
wing-dams located so as to contract the shallow portions of the chan¬ 
nel. Seven of these dams had been built in 1852, but most of them 
soon disappeared,—“A fate which attends all wing-dams not con¬ 
stantly cared for.” 24 It was also proposed to keep boats running 
at points where bars tended to form and thus keep the sand moving. 
Earlier authorities believed that all that was necessary to keep a 
three foot channel was to remove the snags and overhanging trees. 25 
The chief reason for these differences of opinion was the inaccurate 
data of slope and current available to the early engineers. Major 
Warren concluded that the use of the Wisconsin, especially for a six 
foot channel as desired, was impossible because of the constant for¬ 
mation of sand bars. There are two particularly important require¬ 
ments for a rectified river. It must be narrow enough to give a 
required depth at low water, and broad enough to carry off the 
excess water in times of floods. Furthermore, such arrangements 
22 Whitbeck, p. 32. 
23 Whitbeck, p. 33. 
24 Warren, pp. 32, 34. 
25 Ibid, p. 30. 
