The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-08-05
bACkUS DAM PLAN
AGAIN IN L|MEL|GHT
MUCH DISCUSSED BACKUS WA
TER STEAL AGAIN ATTRACT
ING ATTENTION-THIS MAT
TER HAS BEEN FOUGHT BY
ELY FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

The full aid and strength of the
Izaak Walton League of America
in the fight to prevent the flooding
of the chain of lakes along the Min
nesota-O Ontario boundary by erection
of a series of dams has been OBJ
tanned by the Minnesota Division
of the Izaak Walton League. A
preliminary meeting of Twin City
Waltonians at the Minneapolis Ath-
letic club, Friday evening was held to
mobilize conservation sentiment of
the state and nation.
Fred H. Doellner, Winona, men,
Der of the national executive COM
mittce of the league, and state
secretary, and Donald, Hough, Chi
cago, special writer for Outdoor
America, the official publication of
the League, have been in the Twin
Cities for several days investigat-
ing new angles to the proposed
move by lumber and power inter-
ests, according to George H. Sell
over, Minneapolis, state president.
Mr.. Hough is gathering material
10. :. magazine story presenting the
situation as proposed despollatlon
of the principal scenic center IN
Minnesota and one of the major
recreational centers in the central
United States, he said.
according to Mr.. Hough, who at
one time was a forest ranger in the
area in question, and well known IN
this city, the plan as presented by
power interests to the International
Joint Commission for complete COM
mercial development of the Superior
National Forest boundary region
represents the complete destruction
of the area from all other points
of view, without any compromising
public benefit to be derived.
Outdoor America does not at any
time contemplate an unreasonable
attitude toward the commercial de-
velopment of the outdoors when
such development represents the
march of progress and benefits
more people than does the recrea-
tional development, he said, but
careful research and study of the
evidence submitted by power in
terests discloses that these interests
have virtually asked the Canadian
and American governments for per-
mission to destroy existing water
ways and flood forests in the Su-
perior region without permitting
anything other than the most hazy
and indefinite plans for the eco
nomic use of the power, without
showing that it is either needed or
desirable, or that it in any way COM
pensates for the loss of the most
magnificent recreati> nal area in the
middle west. ia speaking of this
loss, | mean the commercial loss
as represented by the very rapidly
growing tourist industries of that
part of the state as well as of the
aesthetic loss to the thousands of
Minnesota outdoor lovers and those
who annually visit the region from
all parts of the country.
The matter was brought to public
attention in the Fall of 1925 when
a meeting of the international Joint
Commission was held at international
Falls, Minnesota, to conduct a hear
ing on the question of whether or
not the lake levels of the Interna-
tional waters should be raised to as
high in some instances, as seventeen
feet above normal, by the contruc-
= ton of a series of dams.
Favorable action was asked by
Mr.. E. w. Backus, international
Falls, head of various lumber and
power companies. Opposition was
voiced by many organizations and
individuals, local and from outside
the state.
According to Mr.. Hough, interest
in the matter spread all over the