The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-02-19
BENNINGTON, VT. FEB. 10, 1918
ARTIFICIAL LAKES
Per year
Per month

experienced In Bennington and vici-
nifty by the failure of the house to
pass House bill No. 591, 'An Act to
Conserve the Scenic and Recreation
al Attractions of the State of Yer
mont" This bill provided that land
to be flowed by power corporations
created by the legislature should first
be cleared of trees and bushes and
that the stumps should be cut to the
average level of the pond or. lake to
be created. 1t also provided that
the public should have the same fish
ing and recreation rights on such
lakes that 1t now possesses respect
ing public waters.
A provision of this nature was in
corporated in the charter bill OF the
Southern Vermont Power company
which has been passed by both
houses.
1t required a long and vigorous
controversy to bring this about and
the general bill was framed In order
that it might not be necessary to
make the fight over again every time
that a power company came before
the legislature for charter.
The development of hydro-electric
power In Vermont is today in its In
fancy. In future years every water
power of any consequence will be
used for that purpose and every OPP
portunity for storage will be made
available. The building Of numerous
dams either for power or storage,
and particularly the latter, will re-
suit in the creation of many artificial
lakes and these lakes will become a
source of pleasure to the inhabitants
and an attraction to people outside
of the state accordingly as the pub
lie demands. If the people who re-
alize that the recreation interests OF
Vermont are one of the states great
est future assets carry the struggle
to finish, then the public will re-
ceive the benefit to which 1t is en-
| titled. II the recreationists lag then
| the movement, when ii becomes state
wide as must be the inevitable result
wall be handicapped.
| The time to secure the enactment
of legislation OF this kind is now.
There is already one big storage lake
in the process OF making in the south
ern half of the state, a body OF wat
err several miles in length. Unless
! the surface of the area to be flowed
is cleared of trees this lake. instead
OF adding to the attractiveness OF the
state will look like nightmare for
years to come. The first big storage
reservoir constructed in Vermont
was in the town of Chittenden. A
dam was constructed across a high
valley in the mountains of Rutland
! county and hundreds of acres of land
were flowed. Had the provisions OF
| House bill 591 been carried out In
the building of this artificial lake an
| addition would have been made to
the scenic attractions of Vermont.
Nothing of the kind was done, how
ever and the dead trees are still
standing over the surface Of the lake.
Dead trees are Just as beautiful as
other dead things.
For years the people OF Vermont
have been endeavoring to secure a
proper recognition of the state as a
summer resort. The scenery is sur
passed by that of no other common
wealth in New England, the elevation
is sufficient to provide healthful at.
mosphere and the transportation IA
cilities to and from the big centers
are excellent Still. Vermont has
not received her share OF the bust
ness. What will be the result IL the
power companies are permitted to
scar and degrade the face Of nature
without restraint II our streams are
to be damned and the ponds and
lakes thus created be left full Of
rubbish? II our natural resources
are to be commercialized without re
gard to the inherent rights OF all the
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