Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-09-05
THE HARBOR RIM LOCATED
Every Wharf on the Bay and
the Two Big Mills Be-
tween the Lines
Six Hundred Feet Reserved
from Squalicum Creek to
Chuckanut
Nothing for the Tide Land
Commission Left on Fair
haVen's Front

Alfred Martin, secretary, Of the Har-
Dor Line commission, arrived i'm this
city yesterday with the maps Of
Bellingham bay and Drayton harbor,
showing the harbor lines established by
the commission Sept. l. The location
of the lines Of these harbors is a sur
prise to the owners Of water front i'm
provements. Every wharf and the
two large mills on BefIingham bav
come within the reserved area. The
work entrusted to the commission was
the location of two lines around the
Bay, from point one mile beyond the
Whatcom boundary on the north to a
point one mile below the Fairhaven
boundary on the south. The outer line
IS the liuit beyond which wharves and
Improvement cannot be extended.
The law provides that the strip be-
tween the outer and inner lines shall
not be less than 50 nor more than 600
feet in width. This strip is held bv the
state and no part Of its area can ever be
soldt and can only be occupied on
lease for period not to exceed thirty
years Owners Of wharves and i'm
proVements on the tide lands were
naturally anxious to have the lines Elo-
Gated out far enough 10 bring the re-
served strip beyond their improve
ments. Bellingham bay wharf owners
Jared as badly as they did in Seattle,
where the acts of the commission
are being contested in the courts.
The tide flats in front Of Fairhaven.
except IN the blight in the bay running
back OF the Fairhaven and Southern !
depot, hre almost entirely within the re- |
serve. The full width of 800 feet il |
taken along the whole front, from the |
Sehome boundary to Boat Harbor. and /
across the head of Chuckanut bav |
Around Boat HarbOr but 100 feet is /
taken. The Ocean dock, the HuI- |
WELDON dock, half Of the Beiingham /
mill and all Of the mill wharf
are taken by the state. The Hea-
cock mill and the Fairhaven and
southern depot, and the railroad clear
around the bay, however, are NOT
touched. The inner line runs from
Dead Mans point along the outer rail
OF the railroad across the blight. and
follows close to the meander line to the
Sehome boundary, cutting Off the en-
tire length Of the Ocean dock, the
wharf and running
through the Belingham mill. There
Is not tide land enough left TO be ap-
praised to pay for the survey.
1T makes the same havoc among the
improvements on the Whatcom front.
The outer line Just misses the G. and g
street wharves. The Sehome wharf
half of the Cornwall mill and all of the
mil wharf are In the reserved area.
Besides the harbor rim, three water
ways are reserved-the Whatcom creek
800 feet wide, running close
o the { street wharf back to within
700 feet of Thirteenth street. The | !
itreet waterway, $50 feet wide, and the
5qualicum creek waterway, 800 feet
vide. ,
In Drayton harbor on the Blaine ,
water front, all the wharves extend
nto the confscated rim. The mill on
he f street wharf is also bevond the {
nner line. The maximum strip 800 !
eet IS taken. Five waterways are also !
eserved-No. |, 200 feet wide, run
ling southwest from the boundary. /
40. 2, an entire block in width. run a
llng out between Bobbet and Clark t
treets, and Dakota and California q
reeks waterways, 800 feet each. :