The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-03-23
|ELKs BY 1HOUSANDS|LAKES OR MUDH0LES g
Minneapolis Famous Beauty Spots
in Genuine Danger From
the Iee-man.
Cedar Lake Affords a Scientific DEM
onstration of What Is Threat
ened Elsewhere.

The effect of ice cutting upon the level
of small lakes is definitely demonstrate
in statement drawn up by q Minneapolis
engineer for the information OF legislators
interested in Senate Bill No 361. This
measure has been referred to a committee
OF senators and representatives from
Ramsey, Hennepin and st. Louis counties.
The bill. introduced. it is said, under the
auspices of the Lake Calhoun Improve
ment association, forbids the cutting of
ice in any lake within the limits cities
having a population in excess Of $4,000.
The statement taking Cedar Lake as an
illustration, declares that the lake has lost
100 acres Of its original area. Clear water
has been supplanted by marshes, sand bars
and banks OF weeds. Many shore fronts
along valuable property have been ruined
Old Sol and the Ice Man,
Cedar Lake. says the engineer, de
ponds upon the rainfall Of it's drainage
area for its water supply altogether. 1t
has no stream, no spring feeds it. Like
wise it has no outlet. It yields on the av-
erage in evaporation 1913 inches per year.
The average rainfall for sixty years is
q, IS inches per year, and, this added to
the total probable yield of the drainage
area of Cedar lake, namely, 9.79 inches,
together make 1924 inches as against the
yearly evaporation of 1913, leaving year,
ly deficit of 2.5s inches due to nature
alone. But residents on the lake and in
the neighborhood positively state that the
lake has been lowered seven feet in the
past twelve or fourteen years, or at the
average rate OF six inches per year, and
this would seem to show that IA inches
were annually taken out of the lake by
the Ice companies, or by other agencies
Of which we are in ignorance.
Independent of the cutting Of the ice,
the lakes Of Minnesota are known to be
gradually drying Mp. No technical report
on this subject is necessary. We all
know Of a great many instances of this.
Why then place upon our little city lakes
such a great handicap, when nature alone
can not hold her own? Why then,
should we allow special privileges to the
very few, that work such damage within
our corporate limits?">
-..- How Calhoun 10 Suffering.
Similar conclusions were drawn by a
prominent attorney who investigated the
subject several years ago at the request
of the Lake Calhoun improvement assoc
| citation. 1.-THE amount of Ice cut annually
two feet thick from one third the surface
of the lake. That is equivalent to two
thirds Of a foot, or eight inches Of ice,
taken from the entire surface Of the lake.
Now, when water is frozen, it's bulk is
enlarged about onetenth, so that eight
Inches OIL Ice WOulO De the same as IA
| inches of water. This is the amount OF
! water the ice companies remove each
winter from Lake Calhoun. II the spring
| rains restored the lake each year to its
former level the loss through ce-cutting
| would be uninnportant. But that is not
the case. It has been six or eight year.
since Calhoun has risen to the level of Its
natural outlet. I don't mean the eulvert
or artificial outlet established by tho parl
board, although. that culvert is usually
kept closed: iii - -.
! An -ExIatlno~LaW Applies.
1T is doubtful whether new state Law
is necessary, yet it would strengthen the
position of the local authorities. Under
the present state law the waters of lakes
:. like Calhoun are public :waters'--they are
open to- all citizens for ordinary public
.use.s such as rowing, sailing, fishing, ic.
4 boating, etc. Individual citizens can thus
use the lake water temporarily. but can
not appropriate it permanently: The ict
companies absolutely remove the water
I They divert 1t for their exclusive; privats
use. They also pollute the water to {
certain extent with their teams, that az.
kept on or near the lake. So the city
council has full authority. without doubt
to exercise It's police powers and pass ar
| ordinance forbidding any person to cut
ice from the city lakes and thus to in.
| terfere with their legitimate public use 3,