Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1910-04-02
REPORT FAVORS
POWER COMPANY
Engineer Stevens Lands on st. Joe
Settlers in Overflow Case.

the NE IA Of section 81, T. 46, r.. 2
w. The hay barn Of the Butler
ranch stands on the section corner
between 15-16-21-22 and was partial
! ly full of baled hay. presumably cut
from the adjacent meadow. The hay
is mixture OF ''red top" and native
timothy. The lands above described
are the only ones of any extent that
have been used for cropping pur-
poses. A small crop of potatoes was
raised on the land bordering the riv-
er in SW Ia section IA, but the land
is at an elevation of 2132 or more.
This tract formed part of 600 acres
adjacent to the town of st. Maries
that had been artificially drained by
diking on the river and by ditching
and pumping the ground water over
the dixie. All the land of this 500.
acre tract is above 212S.
Tho Marsh Lands.
The bottom lands in the reserva-
tion except the so-called high lands
are almost without exception swampy
in nature. The grasses grown upon
them consist of very coarse marsh
grass, sedge, tules and cat tails.
These are a sure indication of swamp
ground, and one only needs a glance
to be convinced that this is a general
characteristic of all the lands between
the hills except the so-called high
lands bordering the river.
For the sake of distinction the
lands between the hills except the
Immediate banks Of the river will be
referred to as the marsh lands =
while those along the river banks
will be designated as high lands
The Big Meadow.
, OF all the marsh lands the Big
Meadow is probably the best. The
grasses while still indicating marsh
are of fined quality, although there
are several patches of tules and cat
tails, particularly near the western
end. This meadow could probably be
reclaimed by ditching and pumping
if the water from the hills were d.
verted directly into the river around
the meadow and bikes were built
along the river banks adjoining with
the hills at either extremity about
six feet in height to prevent over
, flow. If this was done the land
would doubtless prove to be very pro.
duetive.
Effect of Bear Trap Dam.
The immediate effect of the opera.
ton of the Bear Trap dam is, as pre-.
viously shown, to keep the water al
higher level in the lake and over
the marsh lands during the summer
months than obtained before con.
: struction of the dam. The dam was
} completed in July, 1906, but no wat.
! err was held that year. The first eff.
i feet of the retention of water there
] fore appears on July 20, 1907, wheT
! the Bear Trap was raised, catching
the lake level at 2124.4-2126.5. The
entire amount stored was exhausted
by November II, when the lake sur
face reached 212O.6. If the Beal
Trap had not been raised the Lake
; would probably have reached THU
point by August Is, and might have
dropped few tenths more during
] the remaining summer months. Ii
] 1908 the lake surface was caught a
: 2126.2, on July 10. The lowest poin
: reached that year was 2122 on De
eember 81. In 1909 the lake wa
S caught at 2126.5 on July 10 and thu
D lowest point reached was 2122.;
about November 10.
Thus the water has been retained
on some of the marsh lands during
Y three consecutive summers. Thu
question naturally arises whether o
not the marsh lands have become
g such during these three years. Il
e other words, whether the presen
a marshy or swampy nature of thes
: lands is chargeable to the operation
: of the Bear Trap dam during tn
s last three summers.
y To answer this we must eonside
q not only the immediate effect o
D the dam itself, but also the effect o
}. the natural overflow of these land
e each year. The mere fact tina
e they overlooked every yea
e indicates that their value as ayr
# cultural lands is greatly impaired