The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-03-25
L0MASNEY SAYS
CONTINUED from Page One)

originally this entire stream was bridged
by a wooden structure with an open
cross section all the way across"
This is not a fact. On the old
wooden bridge the overall length was
200 feet but there were five wooden
piers, each twenty feet long, filled with
rock, which reduced the actual water
way to about 100 feet, or approximately
the same as with the present bridge.
I do not believe that increasing the
waterway at Silver Rapids would be any
panacea for the trouble, because one
result would he that later on in the
summer when the water gets low (and
last summer, as you probably know, it
was very low if there is a greater run
off, the lake will be so far from the
will then complain because the water
is too low.
I might say that when the present
bridge was to be erected I discussed
ACCESSIBILITY of deepening the channel
but after due consideration they de-
cided that it would not be advisable
for the same reason, that when the
water got low, complaints would be
made that too much water got through
the bridge.
Another point for consideration is
this. Last spring I was going over to
the Point" at Winton but could not
get there because the water from Fall
Lake had completely inundated the
road, and it would seem that if more
water were sent out of White Iron the
point" at Winton would be completely
isolated, naturally giving rise to another
grievance from residents there
I might say that no power company
officials have ever contended that the
Silver Rapids bridge was 1000 re-
sponsible for spring flooding, although
some minor local employees of the
company may do so to save argument.
If White Iron were the only place
to be flooded in the spring there might
be more room for argument but when
all the snow we get in this part of the
country melts as you know, every lake,
stream and creek in northern Mime
sofa gets high water.
Increasing the water way at Silver
Rapids would only mean a temporary
cure, during the period of high water
and would be detrimental when the
water went down to normal.
Mr.. Olson of the Division of Drain
age and Waters suggested erecting a
structure of such capacity as will per-
NIT of the proper control of the eleva-
ton of the lake."
do not feel that this would be very
satisfactory, as it would then mean that
the public would have to portage to
get down below the bridge and it would
be a decided hindrance to anyone
coming, say, from Farm lake up into
White Iron.
Some years ago the power company
obtained Federal license to construct
dam at Gabro lake, but owing to OBJ
jections voiced by some people in this
vicinity, they were denied a license by
the State of Minnesota.
1t is my opinion that if the company
could get the necessary license from the
state to put in a dam at Gabro, they
would then be in a position to control
the flood waters to the benefit of every
body and the damage of property in
that vicinity would be so small as to be
absolutely negligible.
With this thought in mind I will con-
fer with company officials in the near
future and get their opinions on the
matter.
Personally, certainly would be very
pleased to see anything at all feasible
done to eliminate the flooding every