Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-09-11
LEVELS OF THE GREAT LAKES.

lowing interesting article on the great
lake levels:
1t appears that the project for the
construction of a canal through the
country of Kent, Ontario, to connect
Lake st. Clair with Lake Erie, and
| thus provide short cut for vessels
navigating those waters, has given
alarm to some interested parties on
| the United States side of the border.
1t is easy to see, if the project should
be carried out, how it would adversely
affect those interested in maintaining
the existing route. An appeal is to
be made to Washington, it is said,
with the object of getting the federal
government to interfere in the mat
ter, the only ground for such inter
ference mentioned being that the ca
nal would have an effect on the level
of the lakes. The same alarm was
manifested when the Canadian Sault
Stinte Marie canal was projected,
and the Washington government was
then called upon to interfere, as now
suggested. Nothing was done, how
ever. There was a similar alarm in
Canada and with more reason when
the Chicago people undertook to open
a ship canal which would allow Lake
Michigan to flow into the Mississippi,
and thus steal an indefinite amount of
water from the st. Lawrence system,
a much worse thing than simply max
III, tow. ic
repaid to the ST. Lawrence.
There is always reason for serious
consideration before lakes are inter-
fered with, as in nothing have there
been more notable changes on the
earth's surface within the history of
man than in the lowering of lake sur
faces All that is necessary is to cut
the outlet a little deeper and out
flows the lake. Any lowering of the
Niagara ledge would involve lower
ing of Lake Erie, which that lake can
ill afford. An interesting and to us
important, if not very large, illus
tration of this process is found in the
disappearance of the old lake that
was used by the first voyagers be-
tween Montreal and Lachine by which
means they were able to surmount the
Lachine rapids with but trifiing
portage. By slight deepening of the
what we call the swamp, a poor place |
for anything except for growing eel |
cry for the New York market. Any |
lowering of the lake levels might well
prove an international question of
Fortunately, however,
each country has sufficient at risk in
the matter to enable the other to
sleep soundly. Canada could easily
afford to leave the maintenance of
the water level when threatened by
Chicago to the good people of Cleve-
land and Buffalo and Oswego and Og-
denburgh. In like manner the United
States can safely leave the mainte-
nance of the lake levels as far as we
are concerned to our own lake front
interests. Sarnia and Goderich and
Collinwood and Owen Sound are not
going to allow Lake Huron to be let
out, even if there were the remOtest
chance of an almost still water canal
having such gigantic effect. The
real trouble with the parties complain
ng is that they fear the proposed canal
will benefit Canada at their expense.
For that they have reason. There are
lew waters in the world so thronged
hn rir
through which more tonnage passes
han through the Suez canal. If any
serious amount of this tonnage were
detected the effect would no doubt be
serious, but it would not constitute
ground of quarrel.
This question of the lake levels and
he possible consequences of changes
md the means of protection against
hem has been much discussed. That
he mean level is not as high as it once
vas is evident. Ever since their dis
.overy there have been many and
variations in the levels
# the great lakes, but on the whole
he flow of water has been pretty we'll
nensity of the area drained. Canada
9 even more concerned than the
United States in preserving the level
# the lakes on account of the st.
lawrence river. The lake waters are
indeed almost entirely contributed
rom Canadian territory, for the rivers
re comparatively few and small
into the lakes on the south
I'm side. What is most likely to af-