4. Comprehensive Plan - Laserfiche WebLink

Minerals The majority of minerals found in Cass County are sand and gravel, small deposits of glacial boulders and brick clay also exists. Theses limited deposits of sand, gravel, and boulders are located along the beach ridges in the west central portion of the county, while the brick clay deposits are in the eastern portion. The sand and gravel are used mainly for construction of roads and highways; the limited amount of this resource results in its production being a small fraction ofthe county's economy. There are no known commercial quantities of gas or oil and the county has no other know deposits of minerals (Commission of Cass County and the Cass County Planning Department, 1988). Water Rivers Five rivers comprise the major components ofCass County's surface drainage systems: Red River of the North, Sheyenne, Maple, Rush, and Wild Rice (Figure 1.6). These rivers play an important role in irrigation, recreation, and municipal water supply. General flow characteristics and drainage basin area figures for these rivers are presented in Table 1.1. The large variation between the mean and the maximum river flows indicates potential flooding issues are present in the county. The flat nature of the Red River valley, the minimal gradient of the rivers, and northerly flow of the Red River make the area prone to extensive flooding during the spring melt. R. Flow (feet'/sec) Basin Area Iver . Mean Max (mlles2) Red River 680 28,000 1,750 She enne 201 11,000 1,295 Ma Ie River 227 7,150 900 Table 1.1. Stream flows ofCass County's rivers (USGS 2004). 9