The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1929-10-24
|OSAKHLAKE LEVEL
RAISE CONSIDERED
Todd County Commissioners
Consider Largely Signed
II Petition to Build Dam
DOUGLAS INTERESTED
Condition of Sank Lake Would
Be Affected if Plan Is
Carried Out
(Osakis Review

The proposal to raise the level OF
the water in Lake Osakis, mention
of which has heretofore appeared
in these columns, came officially
before the commissioners of Todd
county, at Long Prairie Monday al
ternoon in their regular October
session. A large delegation OF
Osakis business men together with
others who reside in Todd county
and who own property either Dor
dering on the lake or on drainage
bitches which empty into the lake,
was present and were given an
hour or two by the board in which
to discuss the merits of the lake
proposal, both for and against af-
ter which the board received the
petition and laid it aside for con-
sideration later.
Luther D. Warner, as chairman
of the committee seeking to have a
higher level established, and there
after maintained In Lake Osakis by
means of dam to be constructed
at the source of the Little Sank
river or somewhere in the river
near the lake, presented the petit
ton signed by about 70 lakeshore
property owners, which in brief
asked that the lake level be estab-
lished at it's former and original
level, which according to the best
information and belief of the petit
TONERS would be two feet above the
present level of the lake.
Mr.. Warner introduced the SUBJ
ject of the proposed raise in the
water level by giving an engineers
figures as to the water level of the
lake at different times in the past
IS years. These figures indicated
that in 1884 the water level of the
lake was 1,326.S1 feet above sea lev.
Ell, in 1908 the level was 1,323.4s
feet, in 1929 had dropped to 1,32O1e
feet, or $50 feet during the period
Mr.. Warner also stated that in ask.
ing for raise of two feet, the wat
er in the lake would be but four
inches higher than it was in May
of this year, but would be raised
enough to provide plenty of water
to restore the ruined lake shore OF
the lake, which under the present
water level is most smelly and
upsanitary section of the lake.
Chris Heen, pioneer of the Lake
Osakis region, then presented some
interesting data relative to the eff
feet such a raise in the lake Level
might have on bitches. Referring tC
the fact that it had been suggested
that the raised level would back uI
water into the drainage bitches and
by so doing damage land which is
now used for hay and other crops
MIR. Heen thought such a theory
was erroneous. He said that he
once hunted and fished on LAND
now growing corn, due to ditching
projects which drained the land
but he believed that the two-foot
raise requested could not possibly
damage any of the land to which
he referred, giving it as his opinion
that this now cultivated land anC
hay land would absorb all raoistur,
naturally. Mr.. Heen referred to the
fact that many inlets which in by
gone years fed water into the lake
are no longer doing so, mentioning
among others the stream which
once came into the lake from Hig
gins lake body of water very few
except the old timers even recall
I Mr.. Heen said where in years pas
{ there were many inlets which fec
/ the lake there is now but one, leav
ing the lake at the mercy of rains
( and melting SHOWS. He said tn,
7 lake was now at it's lowest point il
years and suggested that there wa.
no possibility of its level even
( ever again being raised to its orig
inal point. He was of the opinion
that a two-foot raise would not only
harm TO one, but would be of un
told benefit in that it would restore
much of the original beauty o.
Todd county's largest and mos
beautiful body of water.
Arthur Baker also referred to pas
and present stages of water in tn,
lake, and without having any de
sire to oppose the raise on genera
/ principles, was not quite assured
s that the level could be raised two
feet without damage to land nov
producing hay and other crops. HI
granted that the very low stage o.