April 1973 Seattle Wants to Raise the Ross Dam!

April 1973

Watergate is all over the news. Its 10 years before the first commercially available cellular phone. Roe vs Wade. The last US soldier leaves Vietnam. The Godfather wins best picture. The World Trade Centre opens up with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Federal Express (Fedex) begins operations with 14 small planes in Memphis, nice golf shoes were on sale for $9.99…

This New York Times article is published on April 14th, 1973 entitled: Canadians Oppose Seattle Power Plan.

“Up to now Seattle’s dams have backed up little water into Canada but now the city wants to raise the height
  of its newest dam—Ross Dam125 feet to an elevation of 1,725 feet. This would create a new lake in Canada
  with a shoreline of 20.9 miles.

  The proposal has now kindled a major international environmental confrontation. “The last thing in the world
  we need is another lake,” says Ken Farquharson, secretary of Run Out Skagit Spoilers, a coalition of major
  Canadian conservation organizations opposed to the project.”

“The State of Washington’s government has even come out against the project on the grounds that it will endanger wildlife
  Mr. Vickey scoffs at that.
  “There are some 48 beavers up there and maybe 35 of them will be flooded out and have to find some place else to go,” he said,
  “but there’s plenty of beaver up there.”

 > > Read the article here > >