The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-02-02
M0OSEHEAO LAKE
POWER
Center of Interest Re-
garding Development
The Present Head OF Water Obtain
able on MOosehead Lake Is About
as Feet.

Public interest centers quite
good deal just now upon Indian Pond
where the Kennebec Dam and Reser-
voir Co. now asking for a charter
from the Legislature. proposes to de-
velop electrical power. A United
States government publication which
was issued in 1902 and is considered
an authority upon these subjects OF
waterpowers, In speaking OF the
Kennebec river, says:
Where the river leaves Moosehead
lake 1t is swift flowing stream
about 800 feet in width, with rough,
rocky bottom and banks. For about
four miles the character of the stream
remains much the same; the aggre-
gate fall In that distance being 81
feet. The river then widens out inb
Jndien Pond, sheet of water some
10 miles long and a half mile wide.
Al the head of this pond the stream
from the west outlet of Moosehead
lake joins the main river. The dis
charge of this outlet is comparative
ly small, and is controlled by small
wooden dam, with gates for regulat-
ing the flow. Below the pond the
river has a continuous and decided
fall for a distance of about seven
miles, over many precipitous ledges,
and the river has the characteristics
of a mountain torrent. There is a
large amount of power that could be
utilized in this seven mile stretch, the
flow and fall being large, the sides
favorable to the construction OF dams
and good building materials at
hand"
Another government publication in
describing Indian Pond states that II
is in Eastern Somerset county, and
saws its inlets are West Outlet Ponds
Kennebec river and a number of small
streams and ponds. The outlet is
the Kennebec river. Indian pond is
described as about five miles long in
two levels, the first being about q
mile long, and 932 feet above mean
tide; short stretch of ''narrows,'
where a fall of about five feet oe-
ours, connects the two levels great
er part of pond is 927 feet above tide;
used for regulation of water in log
driving; controlled by a dam at lower
end total area 1.5 square miles.
Much has been said about the stor-
age capacity of this region. 1t is
claimed by some that if an attempt
was made to use Moosehead lake as
a storage basin that the water would
be raised to such an extent that a
great deal of valuable land would be
flooded and that even the valuable
property at kineo, where the famous
hotel Is located would be flooded
with a resultant loss of many thous-
ands of dollars. A United States
government publication in 1907
speaking of the storage IN kennebeo
headwaters. refers to Moosehead lake
as follows: "Moosehead lake with an
area of about lis square miles, Is the
largest lake in New England. 1t is
about 35 miles in extreme length. IL
miles in maximum width, and of such
depth that 1t is crossed by steamboats,
from end to end 1t has long been
used as a reservoir to store the
spring flow for use in log driving
and for power, and is commanded by
substantial log-cribbed dams at its
two outlets. That at the east, or
principal outlet, was completed in
1901. replacing an old dam. The west
outlet dam was built In 1904. Most
of the regulation of flow, however, is
carried on at the east outlet dam,
and in general little water flows by
way of the west outlet Thee west
outlet stream joins the main river at
the upper end of Indian Pond"
The present head of water OBJ
tainable on Moosehead Lake is about
rs feet; the Kennebec Water Power
Co. has made surveys of the present
lake shores, with view of obtaining
additional storage capacity. cores
ponding to an increased depth of two
feet, and has spent about $4,000 for
these surveys and mapping The re-
suits indicate that an increase in
water surface of about 1.6 square
miles would result from this propos-
ed rise in level The shores are In
general high and rocky, but in sew
eral places rather low, 80 that the
estimated damages are on the whole
considerable. 1t is probable that
Moosehesd lake will be. drawn down
considerably below the present limit,
If dredging were done at the outlet
but this would of course have an OBJ
1ectionable effect upon the navaga-
bility of the lake"
N n nh aA. II.