Here's a video I shot of High Falls.  It's only the upper portion of the drop.  I think the total drop is about 18-24'.  Not sure.  I was too lazy to paddle around to the bottom for a full pic
(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)



Here's a pic of the falls in avg to slightly high water...
(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)


I really have mixed feelings.  On a persoanl level, I'm a cynic.  The LLC band does not "Need" this income project IMO, and yes, that's stated as an uneducated yankee.  The LLC tribe does NEED income though.  Why doesn't the Canadian govm't just give them $$ if that's what they need?  I guess $$ handouts would be degrading.  But how is that anymore degrading than this..."Hey LLC tribe, here's a dam we'll give ya.  and you can sell the power back to us"...

Apparantly the only thing the tribe would have to sell is power from the river.  But these 2 dams aren't even on First Nation land.  They do have Snake falls  and some drop in the river to work with on their own land.  Yes, the tribe "claims" rights to much of the surrounding areas.    From the best I can tell, the plan is for the Canadian citizens to build this series of dams, give them to the First Nations, then lease the power back from the Natives.  All as an "Income Generating project".. Wierd politics if you ask me.  But no one has asked, and it's not my country.  The Americans are screaming bloody murder over this, and the Canadians don't seem to give a dam.  The yankee position is that the Namakan Lake Sturgeon migrate upstream to base of the falls to spawn, and they claim it will messup that process.

If the LLC really needed an income producer, I wouldn't give a rip, and say "have at it".  But this just seems to be one of those "gratis projects" that the Canadian's handout to their First Nations (IMO).  I see no need for power in the area.  There seems to be plenty of it.  And there are no known plans fopr future development of the area requiring lots more power as far as I can tell. (again IMO).

On the other hand?  If I was the benefactor of an Income Producing project, I wouldn't give a rip about what the Canadian's thought.  As far as danger in messing with the Namakan water levels?  Well it's been done before at Kettle Falls.  And that project had us and the cannuk's involved.  Dam on the N side of island goes across border, dam on S side is all Canndian.  Building of the Rainey lake outlet dam at I Falls was a similar issue I suppose.


Well, I've now seen it before it is gone.

Here's a good description of the High Falls dam/diversion proposal.  The diversion and powerhouse are to run right down the existing portage trail.
(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

I suggest you get out there in the next couple of years if it is on your bucket list.  She may be gone in the next decade (although I haven't read anything about it's current status in the last year).

Quote:


I bet they were thinking " How the hell did we lose our land too guy's like that"

Very Well done!  Great Pictures and nice You-tubes of the ,moose and falls.  Thanx for taking us along.
SunCatcher