Congressional Record-Senate: 1916-Debate On Government Water Jusrisdiction Congressional Record-Senate: 1916-Debate On Government Water Jurisdiction

Click on the link below to discover a 1916 Senate document from the Congressional Record that targets Manitowish Waters as an exemplar of the national debate on control of water resources.  Yellow highlights from selected passages of the document illustrate congress' attempt to pass a law to further regulate water resources in the head waters of river systems.  This debate toward a law was nearly simultaneous to a Wisconsin State Supreme Court decision in favor of Manitowish Waters residents regarding regulation of the Rest Lake Dam. The state, private, corporate and national interests regarding water resources were controversial, and all groups were competing for control in the period from 1914-1916. Importantly, the Rest Lake Dam was a high profile case due to the contest for control and importance of water resources.  The hydro-power industry at the beginning of the electric age had powerful corporate influence in this debate.

1916-Congressional-Record-Senate-Flowage-control