Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-10-03
CONDEMNATION AND DRAINAGE
ORDERED ~ PREVIOUS ExEcu..
TIVE COUNCIL. r.
STATE WILL NOT INTERFERE
WITH FORMULATED PLANS
After Personal inspection Of Wright
County Waters Council Decides
Drainage 10 Representation ~
They Found Thorn Described by
Members Of state Council.
Special, to Times Republican.

4
Des Moines. Oct. 3.-There is not a
man on the state executive council who
would countenance for moment the
draining of any lake in Iowa, anything
| that rises to the distinction Of being
| any kind of lake or body of water
| however small it may be. If any one
| comes to the state house with proposal
of the draining of any real lake he will
receive small comfort until there is a
, change of administration. But as to
| lakes that-are merely foul marshes
! of danger to the community that is
| another question
The situation as to "Wall lake" in
we'll understood. The visit of the state
| helped to clear it up.
In the first place that which was sur
veyed as of the lake was about 900
! acres. Today all but $50 acres or less
is dry land covered mainly with inn
mense reeds and rushes. There is no
| lake proper. Nobody could run a row
boat anywhere. Nobody could go fish
ing. There is no basis for summer
resort.
Former Council Condemned,
But as for the present state executive
council it is not called upon, as mat
| ter of fact, to decide what to do with
the lake beyond deciding on what is
the best thing to do with a tract Of
land which needs drainage and which,
| it has been adjudicated, shall be
drained and disposed Of. The contro
versy over the fate of this marsh was
settled by a former executive council
several years ago. There was, notice Of
| time for hearing that all who were in
terested on one side or the other might
appear, and men did appear represent
ing those who wanted the place drained
and those who wanted it to remain as
| it is. The then council decided the
matter and ordered the lake drained.
Later an application was made to have
| the case reopened,' but the council had
fully adjudicated the matter after full
and fair hearing and there the matter
has rested.
When the present council came to
consider the matter there was but one
thing to do and thats&was to carry out
the mandates Of the law and try to do
the best thing for the state which owns
the property. In this matter as in all
other council the present council felt
that it was not its duty to go to the
expense and trouble Of calling witnesses
for a rehearing. II any other course
was pursued in regard to state matters
no definite and certain conclusions on
any matter would ever be reached. The
present council therefore is not called
upon to review what was done by any
former council, but only to carry out
the law as it Is found.
Views After Personal Inspection.
But because Of many conflicting
statements about Wall lake the state
officials desired to make a personal in
vestigation and did SO. A statement by
one member approved by ALL and being
the concensus Of opinion, regarding this
visit is of interest.
II must admit of great deal Of sur
prise occasioned by the situation at
Wall lake as it presented itself to me-"
he said II do not see why what is
there is called a lake except and only
because originally it may have been
entitled to that name because Of quite
an expanse Of water. That condition no
longer exists At the southeast corner
and up for some little distance along
the east side we found some water.
There is very, very little open water at
| the place at all. 1t is largely grown up
with rushes and reeds as high as
ones head and some very much
higher. We walked over and across
the north end of the lake to the island
and considerably more and then drove
around to the south end and along up
the east side. If there are 900 acres
in this tract think would be safe in
saying there is not to exceed one.
ninth of it which at this time has any
water on it at ali.
Few Game Birds There.
Eve saw no game birds except a few
teal ducks. Certainly no one would
claim that this place could be used as
pleasure resort or for any sort Of
satisfactory boating at all. There lies
nhf