OCR Text |
Show and by the Congress and is now (1939) in full force and effect. Red River Compact Between Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota (Signed June 23, 1957). ¦* In ihe valley of the Red River of the North, la critical situation is being met through interstate cooperation between the States of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The problem of the Red River of the North is primarily a question of water. In the period from 1916 to 1919, the problem was one of floods, and from 1930 to 1935* one of drought, which threatened the water supplies of cities and farms. The successful meeting of these problems required interstate cooperation and Federal assistance. This assistance has been in the nature of a com- plete study of the problems by the Water Resources Committee of the Na- tional Resources Committee, in cooperation with the United States Corps of Engineers under a cooperative agreement between the Federal agencies and the Planning Boards of the respective States. The major problem was the conservation of water in lakes and reservoirs, and its release to stream channels which will provide a dependable water supply for the principal cities and other users* The plans includes (a) An increase in the effec- tive storage in the laloss of the Otter Tail River System; (b) plans for a somewha-fc similar improvement in the use of Red Lake storage; and (c) plans for the construction of a large dam on the Cheyenne River and possibly dams on other streams on the Dakota side of the basin. In this connection, small dams are also proposed on various normally dry channels for the impoundment of stock water for rural needs. Another important phase of the plan is the improvement of stream channels for reducing losses of water in transit, which are now reported to be extremely high in this basin. The Compact provides for an interstate authority, with power to control the water re- sources of the area, and to levy limited assessments on the beneficiaries. However« the Minnesota Act that ratifies the Compact, excludes the Otter Tail Basin from the provisions of the Compact. The comprehensive report of the investigations leading up to the consummation of this Compact is in- cluded in the report of the National Resources Committee of August, 1937* on "Regional Planning* "&*• NEGOTIATIONS FOR INTERSTATE RIVER COMPACTS Columbia River* - Negotiations concerning the use of the waters of the Columbia. River vjere conducted for a number of years between the States of Montana* Oregon, and Washington* but it is understood that nothing tangible has resulted from such negotiations. Yellowstone River. - Under authorization of the Congress, dated June lhf 193£* a- Compact for the equitable apportionment of the waters of this river wa_s signed by the representatives of Montana and Wyoming on Febru- ary 6jl935» which, however, was not acted upon by the Legislatures of the two Stat«s within the time limit fixed by Congress. It has been reported that the terms of this Compact would have been opposed by the United States ^Rogional Planning, Part V, "Red River of the North." -120- |