The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-06-18
TRULY
SOUNDING WATER
LOUD APPEALS FOR RELIEF COME
FROM THE LAKE.
County Commissioners Hear Reports Of
High Water and Consider Plan to
Dredge Oak Narrows SO the Surplus
May Pass OFF Johnson Says bitches
Are the Cause.

From all parts Of Lake Minnetonka
come complaints of high water and the
county commissioners are being be-
sieged with. appeals for help. A half
dozen communications and petitions for
the lowering Of the lake were received
and taken under consideration by the
board today. Tales of buildings flood
ed, beaches and beach improvements de-
stroyed and meadows ixundated are
numerous. What to do is the question
with which the commissioners are now
laboring.
A plan proposed today that appeals
to the commissioners as practicable is
the dredging of Oak narrows, between
Gray's bay and Minnetonka Mills. It
is argued that if this narrow place were
dredged and widened trihe, the water
would pass off instead Of accommodating
and backing up into the lake as it now
does. Unless such dredging would in in
terfere with the howage rights of G. H.
Burwell at Minnetonka Mills, bids will
undoubtedly be advertised for and the
work commenced within a few weeks.
&C. It is very serious condition that
confronts u.s. said Chairman J. B,
johnson today. "The high water in
Lake Minnetonka is not due entirely
to the wet spring, altho that, Of course,
has augmented the trouble. Owing to
the large and increasing number Of
bitches over the county that are being
run into the lake, its water supply is
being continually enlarged, while its
the water in the lake will continue to
be raised year by year. It is only a
question Of time when it will be peces-
sary to provide some way to let the
surplus water out Of the lake, and the
sooner we get at it the better it will
be for everyone concerned. - ~
!. What Cooley Says. :.
George W. Cooley says that, tho the
water in Lake Minnetonka is now high
er than it has been for several years,
it still falls considerably short Of what
1t has been at odd times in the past
twenty-six years. ~. 81,
During this length Of time, Mr..
Cooley, who Is now state engineer Of
the highway commission at the capitol,
has kept g. daily record of the lake
water levels This is the only record
of M1nnetonka water levels in exist
ence. "a.
The record shows the lake was at It's
highest in May, 1882, when it was 81
feet above the level Of the present lake
causes. however. It resulted from the
backing up Of water by the building
Of the old Minnetonka mill dam. Much
property was Inundated, and angered
lake residents finally took the matter
into their own hands and cut a. hole in
the dam. '': ., ~
In 1883 the water was ~ feet above
the present dam. level. In '92 1t
dropped to III in '93 it was IA
water gradually fell till, In 1891, the
1ako Of fho 31ou a. oxyar
known, three feet below the dam ele,
walton. = No water flowed over. the dam
til April, 1908, with the exception of
thirty days n. the summer Of 1899
when it ran. over some two, inches deep
Since 1908. -theeII dam has Been over :
! flowing each summer. tn 1908 the water
level was fourteen . inches above the
dam; in 1904 five to six inohes,,x, In
1905 the extreme overflow depth was
again fourteen inches. e, This year the
water. has increased from. ans overflow
depth Of twelve to eighteen inches.&-.<