I 10.

SURVEY OF THE MINNESOTA RIVER, ABOVE THE MOUTH OF YELLOW MEDICINE.

ROCK ISLAND, ILL.,
February 12, 1873.

GENERAL: I beg leave to submit herewith the report of Mr. R. A. Brown, civil engineer, upon the survey of the Minnesota River above the mouth of the Yellow Medicine.

The improvement of the upper river, for the short distance for which Mr. Brown presents an estimate, would doubtless be of service during that season of the year when the river has water enough for passing light-draught steamers and barges, and it can easily be made with a portion of the appropriation which has been asked for as applicable to the improvement of the Minnesota River.

It would seem from this report that the Minnesota in its upper waters has far less importance than has heretofore been ascribed to it, and that there is no prospect of its being made useful as a navigable route to the head-waters of the Red River of the North.

All of which is respectfully submitted by your most obedient servant,
J. N. MACOMB,
Col. Engineers, U. S. A.,

Engineer in charge and Gen. Supt. survey Minnesota River.

Brig. Gen. A. A. HUMPHREYS,
Chief of Engineers, U. S. A., Washington, D. C.

ROCK ISLAND, ILL., February 11, 1873. COLONEL: In compliance with letter of instructions of August 6, 1872, I submit my final report of the examination and survey of the Minnesota River above the mouth of the Yellow Medicine. The drawings accompanying are as follows, viz:

I. Sheets A, B, C, and D, showing 97.3 miles of river surveyed. Sheet E, showing 29.83 miles of river examined, extending to the mouth of Yellow Medicine. Scale

6000

II. Profile of transit line, showing water-slope.

III. Four sheets, showing twenty-one cross-sections of the valley. Also, Papers A and B, giving an abbreviated journal and table of altitudes and distances.

*

*

*

The source of the Minnesota River is about thirty miles west of the head of Lac Travers, at an altitude of 1,896 feet above the Gulf of Mexico; its course is easterly to within one mile of the above-mentioned lake, thence southeasterly three and one-half miles, and expands into Big Stone Lake at an elevation of 964 feet, making a descent of 932 feet in thirty-five miles.

The stream, as it enters the main valley, is a mere mountain torrent, sometimes entirely dry. Width, between banks, 40 to 60 feet; height of banks, 5 to 15 feet. In heavy rains the water passes both into the Red River of the North and the Mississippi.

Lac Travers, the source of the Sioux Wood River, is twenty-five miles long and from one-half to one mile wide. The descent from Lac Travers to Big Stone Lake is 7.71 feet; distance, 4.75 miles.

Big Stone Lake is a fine body of water twenty-seven miles long; mean width, 3,000 feet; depth, from 4 to 15 feet. Reports give extreme low water 1 foot below the present stage; estimated fluctuation, 4 to 5 feet; is fed by a few spring brooks; has a bold, rocky shore.

The Minnesota River, as the outlet of Big Stone Lake, is wholly concealed by reeds; has no defined channel until 300 feet below; it assumes the character of a creek 10 feet wide and 1 foot deep; banks 1 foot high.

The stream for fourteen miles (nine miles direct) is a series of pools and shoals 15 to 45 feet wide, one-half to 5 feet deep; banks from 1 to 12 feet high; fall, 1.9 feet per

mile.

The wreck of an old steamer, the Enterprise, lies twelve miles below the foot of Big Stone Lake, abandoned in 1859 while making an effort to run to Lac Travers. Size of the wreck 115 feet by 24 feet, nearly filling the prism of the river as shown by diagram No. 2, sheet C.

Reliable reports state that the river in this vicinity was entirely dry in the summer of 1871. Discharge September 18, 1872, was 11 cubic feet per second.

The Pomme de Terre River 27.65 miles below Big Stone Lake, is a very important tributary to the Minnesota. September 24, 1872, the discharge of the Minnesota was 42 cubic feet per second. The Pomme de Terre was 63 cubic feet per second.

From this point the river has a width of from 60 to 80 feet; depth 2 to 4 feet; banks 1 to 3 feet; fall 1.14 feet per mile.

Lac qui Parle, a widening of the Minnesota River, is 7.3 miles long; from 600 to 4,000 feet wide, and 4 to 6 feet deep, filled with weeds. Fluctuation 17 feet.

From the foot of Lac qui Parle the character of the river is much the same, except the banks are from 8 to 12 feet high, the fall 71.100 feet per mile.

The Chippewa River, 19.91 miles (10.36 miles direct) below Lac qui Parle, adds about one-third to the volume of the Minnesota.

Thence the mean width is about 115 feet; depth from one-half to 10 feet; banks 8 to 10 feet; estimated fall one-half foot per mile to the head of the rapids in section 20 township 116, range 39.

From this point to the foot of Minnesota Falls, distance by river 7.2 miles, (5.38 miles direct,) the estimated fall is 49.78 feet. In this section of river are two improved millsites of 8 feet head each, viz, Granite Falls Mills, and Minnesota Falls Mills.

From the latter point to the mouth of the Yellow Medicine River, distance by river 10.52 miles, (4.65 miles direct,) the stream has a mean width of 125 feet; depth 2 to 10 feet; banks from 6 to 10 feet.

The general slope estimated at 6 inches per mile.

At Point I is a fall of 2 feet in 75 feet. At Point J is a fall foot in 300 feet. At Point K and L are slight obstructions, (bowlders.) This is the section of river that calls for improvements, and for which I have estimated.

Where the Upper Minnesota River enters the main valley near the head of Lac Travers, the flood-plain has a width of one and one-half miles. Elevation above the lake 15 feet, depression below the surrounding country 150 feet. The bluffs are terraced and strewed with granite bowlders. Below Big Stone Lake the valley expands to the width of two to three miles, and contains out-croppings of feldspathic granite, some having an estimated area of fifteen to twenty acres and an elevation of 40 feet. Elevation of the surrounding plateau 80 to 100 feet.

From the head of Lac qui Parle to the mouth of the Chippewa River, the flood-plain is from one-half to three-fourths of a mile wide, thence to the mouth of the Yellow Medicine it is very variable, the bluffs receding to a distance of one to two miles. Granite out-croppings are very common on this section of river.

The elevated plateau is almost destitute of timber. On the banks of the river is occasionally a narrow belt, but of a very inferior quality.

I find a few homesteads at Lac Travers and Big Stone Lake and in the valley below. On the Pomme de Terre is quite an enterprising settlement, and from this point to Yellow Medicine settlements are quite numerous. The mills at Appleton, Montevideo, Granite Falls, and Minnesota Falls are manufacturing flour for shipment.

From information gathered from surveys, examinations, and reports I can recommend no plan of improvements except as submitted in my preliminary report of November 8, 1872, viz:

The excavated material at Point I should be placed in wing-dams 500 to 600 feet above the present fall to prevent the reduction of the pool below its present plane.

The completion of the above-mentioned work will make a navigable channel from the mouth of the Yellow Medicine to the foot of Minnesota Falls whenever boats can pass the former place.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Col. J. N. MACOMB,

Corps of Engineers, U. S. A.

R. A. BROWN, Civil Engineer, Assistant.

Statement of the amount of navigation on the Minnesota River as collected from rivermen and settlers.

"Two boats, the Osceola and Otter passed Mankato in 1872." (Authority, ferryman.) "There has been no navigation of importance on the Minnesota River for the last five or six years." (Authority, Capt. John H. Raney, agent Northwestern Union Packet Company, Saint Paul.)

"The Otter made three trips to Beaver Falls this season, (1872.) Last season the Mankato, Pioneer, and Saint Anthony Falls went up to Redwood." (Authority, farmer.)

Number of landings at Redwood during the year 1869, sixty-five; 1870, but a few; 1871, two or three; 1872, none. The Otter made several trips to within eight miles. No boats have run above Redwood within four years. Some ran to Minnesota Falls during the Indian outbreak. (Authority, C. J. Reker, Redwood.)

The Winona and Saint Peter's Railway is now running trains above New Elm.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. A. BROWN,

Civil Engineer, Assistant.

Table of altitudes of principal points on the Minnesota or Saint Peter's River, and vicinity.

APPENDIX K.

ANNUAL REPORT OF COLONEL J. H. SIMPSON, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1873.

ENGINEER OFFICE, UNITED STATES ARMY,

Saint Louis, Mo., August 4, 1873.

SIR: I have the honor to submit reports of operations upon the works under my charge for the year ending June 30, 1873.

In accordance with Special Orders No. 318, dated War Department, Adjutant General's Office, December 6, 1872, I relieved Lieut. Col. W. F. Raynolds of his works on the 1st of January, 1873, and in accordance with Special Orders No. 64, dated War Department, Adjutant General's Office, March 27, 1873, I turned over to Maj. Charles R. Suter, on the 7th day of April, 1873, the charge of the improvement of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Arkansas Rivers, and of the White and Saint Francis Rivers, and of the survey of the Forked Deer River, Tennessee; and to Capt. W. H. H. Benyaurd, Corps of Engineers, May 9, 1873, the charge of the improvements of the Ouachita River, in Louisiana and Arkansas, and of the Yazoo River in Mississippi.

I have also been engaged upon the following miscellaneous work since my being stationed at Saint Louis, viz:

President of a Board of Engineers, convened by Special Orders No. 5, Headquarters Corps Engineers, January 13, 1873, to consider plans, specifications, &c., of bridge at Nebraska City. Report submitted January 31, 1873.

President of Board of Engineers convened by Special Orders No. 64, Headquarters Corps Engineers, May 27, 1873, to consider plans, specifications, &c., of bridge at Little Rock, Ark. Report submitted July 2, 1873.

President of Board of Engineers, convened by Special Orders No. 69, Headquarters Corps Engineers, June 7, 1873, to consider plans, specifications, &c., relating to bridge at Louisiana, Mo. Report submitted June 21, 1873.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Brig. Gen. A. A. HUMPHREYS,

J. H. SIMPSON,

Col. Engineers.

Chief of Engineers, U. S. A., Washington, D. C.

K 1.

IMPROVEMENT OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BETWEEN THE MOUTHS OF THE ILLINOIS AND MISSOURI RIVERS.

The work was undertaken according to the recommendation of a Board of engineer officers in their report dated April 13, 1872, which was duly concurred in by the Chief of Engineers, and under the appropriation of $25,000, made by act of Congress approved June 10, 1872, for the improvement of the Mississippi River, between the mouth of the Illinois River and the mouth of the Missouri River.

A preliminary examination of the locality to establish a situation for