The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-08-19
AUDITOR CHASE
| AGAINST DAMS
RECOMMENDS THE DEFINITE
REJECTION OF MINNESOTA
POWER q LIGHT CO. PROJECT
AT CABRO AND BALD EAGLE
LAKES.

AAASRSSSeNee
the affected territory, State Auditor
Ray P. Chase has sent letter to
the Federal Power commission which
raised a point which may block all
water power projects in Northern
Minnesota that involve the flood
ing of state forest lands.
While Mr.. Chase's protest at this
time is not aimed at the Backus dam
project on the border, it may eventu-
ally affect that scheme as well. Mr..
Chase's letter asks for definite re-
lection of the Minnesota Power and
Light. company's application for the
right to install six dams on Gabro
and Bald Eagle lakes in Lake county.
These dams would double the pre-
sent area of the two lakes and would
flood some 600 acres of state for
est land within the Superior Ma
tional forest. Mr.. Chase points out
that the collection of timber dam
age would be but drop in the
bucket to the destruction of shore
lines, fish life, spawning beds and
the scenic beauty of the lakes.
The state auditor backs up these
arguments with legal point that
land set aside for state forests is
not subject to condemnation by a
public service company, because it
has been dedicated already to a
definite use by act of the Mime
sofa legislature. If this point is
sustained by the federal authorities
or by the courts, it will not only
block the Gabro lake project but
will also knock the Backus border
dam projects squarely in the head.
Four state employees were sent by
Mr.. Chase last fall to make per-
sonal inspection of Gabro and Bald
Eagle lakes. They were F. A.
Wildes, r. A. Hunt, H. F. Kendall
and F. w. Johnson. They spent
four days on the lakes, reporting
conditions.
Mr.. Chase then notified the Min
nesota Power and Light company
L..... state timber had been des-
troyed by the dams built in 1928.
The company replied that it had
not intended to raise the waters
above the natural level, and had re-
ceived no complaint from the for
est service. It's application to the
Federal Power commission, it ex-
planned, is waiting on approval OF
the ultimate project"
The state auditor then took the
matter up with the Federal Power
commission, filing a formal protest
and giving the following reasons
't1-Out of the total area of
| 834.4 acres of state owned lands
in close proximity to the lakes in
question, 784.4 acres would be
directly affected, and Is per cent
of such lands with their standing
timber would be flooded.
"2 With the destruction Of the
natural shore line of lakes would go
,neir scenic beauty and their value
for recreation purposes. Because
of the large number of deeply in
dented and shallow bays, created
during high water, with the con-
sequent mud-flats at lower stage,
the shores would be practically in
accessible.
"3-The unatural fluctuation in
water stage would interfere with
the spawning of fish, and when the
water is drawn off large numbers
would become impounded and die
in the many shallow bays.
MANY plants fed upon by
moose and other wild animals and
by birds grow in certain depths OF
water. The unreasonable changes
in water level would kill such plants
thus interfering materially with the
wild life in this area.
/ "5-The entire project lies within
the limit of Minnesota State for.
est, an area set aside for the pro-
motion of forestry and the preser-
walton of the tract in it's natural
state.
"6-The project conflicts with
the well-defined state policy OF
maintaining Minnesota lakes in
their natural condition for general
recreational purposes. It would
take a generation to create a new
shore line for the lanes at the
water stages pro- osed.
damages certain to be sus-
tanned by the public and the state
cannot be adequately determined
and it is a safe prediction that thu
public will pay as much for it!
power and light after the compile
ton of this project as it would have
done had the power been created
at other hydro-electric stations Of
by steam plants"
i Mr.. Chase heard from the Fed
eral Power commission. Secretar.
o. C. Merrill in his reply said tn,
Minnesota Power and Light com
pany had been asked to show it
} ability to acquire title or right t,
the use of the state land.
Il The power company had answere,
by citing a state supreme court de
cision in the Virginia school boar
case, 124 Mimi, 271, giving tn
school district authority to condem
state~ land.
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