Public Utilities Report 1915: RE Chippewa & Flambeau Improvment Company-Rest Lake Dam

The link below will open an extensive file regarding the Wisconsin Railroad Commissions decision ultimately codifying the 1914 decision regarding high and low water levels for the Rest Lake Dam.   Due to my limited legal understanding I can only observe that the 1915 decision did codify the operation of the Rest Lake Dam to a max level to 8.5 feet and drawdown to 5.5 feet (except in drought).

Based on the elaborate legal descriptions and new detail in this 1915 document, a rehearing of a 1914 decision that was favorable to the residents above the Rest Lake Dam was launched.  It appears the Chippewa & Flambeau Improvement Company wanted to raise the high level established in 1914 from 8.5 feet to 10 feet in 1915.  The company also suggested that through eminent domain they had the prerogative to raise the water level to 15 feet, the maximum capacity of the dam, and draw the water down to 0 feet.  Understandably, residents were agitated by the company’s suggestions, and offered examples regarding the impact of erosion, lost islands, large numbers of mature trees falling in the lakes and other unwanted impacts of the water levels at 10 feet.

1915-Public-Utilties-Report-Rest-Lake-Dam-pdf