Floods of 1952 in the Basins of the Upper Mississippi River and Red River of the North FLOODS OF 1952 Prepared under the direction of J. V. B. WELLS, Chief, Surface Water Branch GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1260-C Prepared in cooperation with the States of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, and with agencies of the Federal Government UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1955 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Douglas McKay, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY W. E. Wrather, Director For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office Washington 25, D. C. - Price $1 (paper cover) PREFACE This report on the floods of April 1952 in basins of the upper Mississippi River and Red River of the North was prepared by the United States Geological Survey, Water Resources Division, C. G. Paulsen, chief, under the general direction of J. V. B. Wells, chief, Surface Water Branch. Basic records of discharge in the area covered by this report were collected in cooperation with the States of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, and agencies of the Federal government. The discharge records contained in this report were collected and compiled under the direction of the district engineers in the States as follows: Illinois, J. H. Morgan; Iowa, V. R. Bennion; Minnesota, P. R. Speer, succeeded by L. R. Sawyer; Missouri, H. C. Bolon; North Dakota, H. M. Erskine; and Wisconsin, F. C. Christopherson. The data were assembled and the report pre­ pared in the special reports office, Lincoln, Nebr., R. E. Oltman, engineer in charge. HI CONTENTS Page Abstract........................................................ 303 Introduction..................................................... 304 Acknowledgments................................................ 308 General features of the flood. ..................................... 308 Antecedent conditions ......................................... 308 Description of the floods. ....................................... 309 Flood damages .................................................. 347 Measurement of flood discharges.................................. 363 Stages and discharges at stream-gaging stations ..................... 363 Explanation of data............................................ 363 Red River of the North basin: Otter Tail River (head 6f the Red River of the North) near Detroit Lakes, Minn.................................... 365 Pelican River near Fergus Falls, Minn .................... 366 Otter Tail River below Pelican River, near Fergus Falls, Minn. 367 West Branch Mustinka River (head of Bois de Sioux River): Mustinka ditch above West Branch Mustinka River, near Charlesville, Minn .................................. 368 Mustinka ditch below West Branch Mustinka River, near Charlesville, Minn .................................. 369 West Branch Mustinka River below Mustinka ditch, near Charlesville, Minn..................................... 370 Mustinka River above Wheaton, Minn ...................... 371 Lake Traverse near White Rock, S. Dak ................... 372 Bois de Sioux River near White Rock, S. Dak............... 372 Red River of the North at Wahpeton, N. Dak .................. 373 Wild Rice River near Mantador, N. Dak ................... 374 Antelope Creek near Dwight, N. Dak. ................... 375 Wild Rice River near Abercrombie, N. Dak ................ 376 Red River of the North at Fargo, N. Dak ..................... 377 Sheyenne River at West Fargo, N. Dak .................... 378 Maple River at Mapleton, N. Dak....................... 379 Rush River at Amenia, N. Dak......................... 380 Buffalo River near Hawley, Minn.......................... 381 South Branch Buffalo River at Sabin, Minn. .............. 382 Buffalo River near Dilworth, Minn ........................ 383 Wild Rice River at Hendrum, Minn ........................ 384 Red River of the North at Halstad, Minn ...................... 385 Goose River at Hillsboro, N. Dak ......................... 386 Marsh River near Shelly, Minn ........................... 386 Sand Hill River at Climax, Minn .......................... 387 Red Lake River at Crookston, Minn ....................... 388 Red River of the North at Grand Forks, N. Dak ............... 388 Upper Mississippi River basin: Mississippi River near Royalton, Minn ....................... 389 Sauk River near St. Cloud, Minn .......................... 390 Elk River near Big Lake, Minn ........................... 391 Mississippi River at Elk River, Minn ........................ 392 North Fork Crow River near Regal, Minn .................. 394 Middle Fork Crow River near Spicer, Minn. ............. 395 South Fork Crow River at Cosmos, Minn ................ 396 South Fork Crow River near Mayer, Minn ............... 397 VI CONTENTS Page Stages and discharges at stream-gaging stations--Continued Upper Mississippi River basin--Continued Mississippi River--Continued Crow River at Rockford, Minn ............................ 398 Rum River near St. Francis, Minn ........................ 399 Mississippi River near Anoka, Minn ......................... 400 Little Minnesota River (head of Minnesota River) near Peever, S. Dak ..................................... 401 Whetstone River near Big Stone City, S. Dak ............ 402 Big Stone Lake at Ortonville, Minn ........................ 403 Minnesota River at Ortonville, Minn. ...................... 404 Minnesota River near Odessa, Minn ....................... 405 Yellow Bank River near Odessa, Minn .................. 406 Pomme de Terre River near Appleton, Minn. ............ 407 Marsh Lake at Marsh Lake Dam, near Appleton, Minn ...... 408 Lac qui Parle River near Lac qui Parle, Minn........... 409 Lac qui Parle Lake near Lac qui Parle, Minn .............. 410 Minnesota River near Lac qui Parle, Minn ................. 411 Chippewa River: Shakopee Creek near Benson, Minn .................. 412 Chippewa River near Milan, Minn ...................... 413 Minnesota River at Montevideo, Minn. ..................... 414 Yellow Medicine River near Granite Falls, Minn......... 415 Hawk Creek near Maynard, Minn ....................... 416 Redwood River at Marshall, Minn ...................... 417 Redwood River near Redwood Falls, Minn ............... 418 Cottonwood River near New Ulm, Minn. ................. 419 Blue Earth River: East Fork Blue Earth River near Bricelyn, Minn ...... 420 Blue Earth River near Rapidan, Minn ................... 421 Le Sueur River near Rapidan, Minn .................. 422 Minnesota River at Mankato, Minn ........................ 423 Minnesota River near Carver, Minn ....................... 424 Mississippi River at St. Paul, Minn. ......................... 425 St. Croix River: Snake River near Pine City, Minn ...................... 426 Sunrise River near Stacy, Minn ................... ^.... 427 St. Croix River at St. Croix Falls, Wis. ................... 427 Mississippi River at Prescott, Wis .......................... 428 Cannon River at Welch, Minn ............................. 429 Chippewa River at Durand, Wis ........................... 430 Zumbro River at Zumbro Falls, Minn ........'............. 431 Zumbro River at Theilman, Minn ......................... 432 Whitewater River: South Fork Whitewater River near Altura, Minn.......... 433 Whitewater River at Beaver, Minn ........................ 434 Gilmore Creek at Winona, Minn. .......................... 435 Mississippi River at Winona, Minn. .......................... 436 Trempealeau River at Dodge, Wis. ........................ 437 Black River near Galesville, Wis ......................... 437 La Crosse River near West Salem, Wis. ................... 438 Mississippi River at La Crosse, Wis. ........................ 438 Root River near Lanesboro, Minn ......................... 439 Rush Creek near Rushford, Minn ....................... 440 Root River near Houston, Minn ........................... 441 Root River below South Fork, near Houston, Minn .......... 442 Upper Iowa River near Decorah, Iowa ..................... 443 CONTENTS VII Page Stages and discharges at stream-gaging stations--Continued Upper Mississippi River has in--Continued Mississippi River at McGregor, Iowa ........................ 443 Wisconsin River at Muscoda, Wis ......................... 444 Turkey River at Garber, Iowa ............................ 444 Grant River at Burton, Wis. .............................. 445 Platte River near Rockville, Wis. ......................... 445 Little Maquoketa River near Durango, Iowa ................ 446 Galena River at Buncombe, Wis. .......................... 446 Maquoketa River near Maquoketa, Iowa .................... 447 Apple River near Hanover, 111 ............................ 447 Plum River below Carroll Creek, near Savanna, 111 ......... 448 Mississippi River at Clinton, Iowa ........................... 448 Wapsipinicon River near Dewitt, Iowa ..................... 449 Rock River near Joslin, 111............................... 449 Green River near Geneseo, 111 ......................... 450 Mill Creek at Milan, 111 ............................... 450 Iowa River at Wapello, Iowa .............................. 451 Edwards River near New Boston, 111. ...................... 451 Pope Creek near Keithsburg, 111 .......................... 452 Henderson Creek near Oquawka, 111 ....................... 452 South Henderson Creek at Biggsville, 111 ................ 453 Skunk River at Augusta, Iowa ............................. 454 Mississippi