Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-01-13
Commission Presents lis
First Annual Report.
recommends That Authority Be
GIHen Along Several Lines,
CITES kennebec River Basin =.
argument for State Control.

49,, si9ia'ure. Inc second part of
'he report. which will contain data
sathered by the engineer OF the COM
i''isslon, Cyrus c. Babt. relative ia
'ie water resources of the STATE in
'iuuihg forestry. precipitation. evapc
i"'ioh, water powers deyelop,d and
'"iaeVeioped and surface water SUNNY
nv 'uuiliS run of Of rivers, will not be
ready for several weeks.
iHe state Water Storage Commission
recommends tnat it be given authority
alohS the following lines
flfst-To require every persnp tir,n
Or C tpofation, contemplating tie con-
Stfuttitn Of (, dam for the storage of
water or the development OF wato;.
power in the State, to submit tho;r
plans 10 the commission and obtain
the approval OF the commission before
construction.
'ce'iia-io require every person.
ilFm or corporation applying for n
Charter FOR the development of storage
OF Water power to submit their plans
To Tie commission for approval before
bSSnninS constructions; to provide for.
practically the same requirements in
the case of agreements for the merger
or consolidation Of two or more cor
p"rations for the same purpose: to re-
quirS the approval OF the commission
III an cases of sale assignment, oispo-
sition or transfer of the franchise of Il
comHniSSlcn formed fer the deyclop.
merit OF storage or water power
Ihird-To assess and collect fees an
nualls for all franchises of water now
er, Which may be granted herea fter b,.
the State. the amount of assessment
hcInS on a sliding scale and based
eitn"r on gross receipts of the com.
pdny, or ON the hoI sepower proposed
to be developed.
fcLrth-To assume control and rtr,l :
iation Of all reservoirs now built or
tEat Will be built by private parties on
idiius III part or in whole controlled by
fthc state. known as public lots or
state lands. and ON all great bonds
and lakes OF the state. taking care in
such legislation not To injuriously af-
feet vested rights
The report is signed by Ex-Governor
Bort VI. Ferrald. chairman; Edgar T..
hing. land agent. Edward p. Kicker.
J. Nj. M"Nulty. and T.. c. Jordan. com
mlssioners.
The report upon the water resources
of tie state by Engineer Cyrus G.
bdbb states that the appropr alton Of
soGtc year Was wholly insufficient
for the line Of inves tigation ordered by
the law creating the beard. Fortu-
hateiy a large amount of work has
previously ben done in the State or
during the>last decade on general nv.
Geographic and topographic investica-
tons. Tho State Survey Commission
has been working in cooperation with
the L. $. Geological Survey along SINH
lar lines since 1899 Their appropr;a-
lions have been small for such a large
state as Maine, but fortunately all
TIER money has been spent on actual
field work and little on reports.
The years work Of the engineer is
classod under the following heads.
Compilation of photographic data:
census of existing water power devel-
opments: supervision of stream gaging
work, supervision of river and lake
surveys; complication of base mar of
state, engineering studies.
TIE report Of the engineer has the
following to say in regard to a State
policy:
The State of Maine ranks third in
the total horse power developed. II
has natural storage facilities per
square mile of area that can be i'm
proved by artificial construction, I'M
surpassed by any State. If Maine de-
sires to assume active control of its
water powers or storage reservoirs it
Should take early and adequate stcps
to that end before private power rights
become further vested, and before the
shores of it's lakes are more thicIlly
settled and land damages increase. il
the ponds and lakes are to be used as
reservoirs.
The report in reply to the question.
Win lot state regulation of reser-
vors inure to the benefit of power
users cites the example of the Ken
nebec River basin.
In the earlier days the storage fon
Moosehead and other lakes, was con-
trolled by the various log driving as
sociationS. To a certain extent lurl-
bering and water power interests con-
fict on TIE same stream in regard t.
the manner Of use of stored water.
lie use u water IOT IOS uTlNIHS oc-
gins early in the spring and continues
well into the summer. Formerly little
or nc care was taken to prevent the
waste of water during log driving,
with tl.e result that frequently by the
end of the log driving season. little
water would be left stored in Moose
beaG Lake. and consequently the water
power users on the river suffered from
a scarcity of water in the fall and ear
Iy winter. In later years, however, the
log driving and water power interests
became more harmonious and the two
associations. the Kennebec Log Driv-
ing Association and the kennebec Wa
ter Power Co. worked together. The
former controlled the dams at the out
LET'S of tho lakes. The latter company
spent considerable money to improve
the river channel and facilities for
driving. th.s preventing the needless
waste of.water in log driving and stor
ing it instead to be used in the fall for
the tenefit Of the power companies.
By these improvements. the driving
head, as it is called. the amount of wa
ter used in driving logs out of Moose
head Lake was reduced from about
$500 sec. 1T. to about 1900 sec. #.