The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-03-31
LoWering Of StDan
Lake Again Talked
Engineers Preliminary Report
For Proposed Ditch Has
Been Filed

After a delay of nearly five years
the engineers report on the pre-
| liminary survey for the proposed
county ditch No. 81 providing for
the lowering of Swan Lake was
filed last Thursday with County
Auditor W. III. Holz of Nicollet
county by Engineer F. d. Minimum
who. is in charge OF this work, says
| The New Ulm Review. 1t was this
| proposed ditch that aroused the
sportsmen of the state and county
| five years ago and no doubt the
same people will still oppose the
project and it will be strongly con
tested when ii is brought on the
viewers report.
The engineers survey calls for
an open ditch with its outlet south
Of Nicollet village. The estimated
cost at this time is Sill ,570.93 or
more than $4,000 less than two
years ago. 1t will affect 1910
| acres of land which is the water
shed estimate. OF this amount the
lake bed of Nicollet county's larg
est body of water comprises 10,920
acres. The cost of the survey to
date is $6,500.61
NJ IIlc CStHI tllUt nOOu
stages after heavy rains consider
able land outside of the meandered
line is overlooked, thus making
this land unfit 10 use for any pur
pose, The proposed improvement
provides for dam at the outlet to
be constructed at a cost between
$500 and $500. By means of this
dam and other plans for control it
is expected to be able to maintain
the stage of water at the same lev
ell the year round and thus make
land outside the meandered line
available for meadow and pasture
purposes which can not be used at
present for any purposes but on
which property owners are assess
ed and pay taxes regularly. The
dam and spillway are 10 be install
ed at the outlet of the lake on the
kettner farm. The lake has fifty
six miles of shore line and it can be
readily seen that quite a large
number of acres are affected by
high water in Swan Lake. The land
from the north ITO the southeast
side of the lake is affected more by
east to the northeasterly side of
the lake.
History. Of This Action
In the year 1917 when this mat
ter first came up before the county
commissioners, Jacob Drummer, c.
II. Hanson and f. H. Berger were
appointed as viewers and they have
been ordered to report at the county
auditors office in ST. Peter March
%, for the purpose of entering up
on their duties. Since their APP
one of the viewers, has moved to
the city Of New Ulm and no doubt
it will become necessary to appoint
some one else in his place.
The proposed ditch was petition
ed for by j. A. Jensen of Brighton
township and others residing on
the shore of the lake. The engineer
for this project was appointed May
20, 1917, and work was commenced
in August. 1917. At the time of the
filing of the petition bond in the
county auditor as provided by law.
Before the survey was completed,
and in the winter of 1918 the $4,000
had teen expended for survey ex-
penses and the, work had to be
stopped until the petitioners had
filed an additional tbond which
caused a delay of fully Is months.
The entire field work was com
pleted in July 1919 but at that time
the prices of labor and material
had risen to such dizzy heights
that the petitioners decided to hold
the matter in allegiance until condi
tions were more normal. About
year ago Mr.. Minium completed his
report which was submitted to the
attorneys, who being oyerburdened
with work did not complete their
part of the work until very recent
ly when the entire report was filed
with the county auditor
Those interested in the project
hope that there will be no further
delay and that in very short
time the viewers will be able to
make their report and final action
be taken by the board of county
commissioners.