Congressional Edition Volume 6016 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1912 Excerpt: ...part of the drainage basin of Wisconsin River has nearly all been cut off, and a thick growth of brush and second-growth timber has taken its place. Large areas have been brought under cultivation. In some places this second growth has been burned over, leaving almost impenetrable thickets of brush and dead timber. The effect of this new growth of brush and timber on the run-off is probably about the same as that of the pine forests which it has replaced. The mean annual rainfall on the headwaters of the river is about 31 inches; at the lower part of the basin the rainfall is about 34 inches. The winters, except in the very lowest part of the basin, are severe. The snowfall is comparatively heavy and stays on the ground for long periods, and the streams are covered with ice from 1 to 2 feet in thickness for three or four months. These conditions tend to make the winter season the period of minimum flow, and winter discharge measurements are therefore very valuable. The basin affords many sites for storage. The United States Engineer Corps located and surveyed eight reservoir sites at the headwaters of Wisconsin River to aid navigation of Mississippi River. The capacity of these reservoirs is about 20,000,000,000 cubic feet, and it was estimated that a flow of 3,000 cubic feet per second could be maintained for three months. Such a flow would nearly double the low-water flow of the river and its resulting water power. Several of these reservoirs have been constructed by private parties for water-power development. The Wisconsin Valley Improvement Co. has been authorized by law to construct, acquire, and maintain a system of reservoirs located on the tributaries of the Wisconsin River north of the south line of township 34, about 6 miles below Tomahawk, for t...