When Lassen Volcanic National Park was created in 1916, its boundaries were much smaller than they are today. In the mid-1920s when the park wanted to extend its boundaries, taking in adjoining national forest land, the Lassen National Forest objected. It was their opinion, they could do a superior job of handling the natural resources that could be best utilized in the public’s interest, than the park.
One proposal in 1913 could have had a significant impact to Butte and Snag Lakes.. Jonathan Stark of the forest service viewed the two lakes as reservoir possibilities. It was his belief, though some scientific work would need to substantiate it, that Butte and Snag Lakes were connected by an underground stream. It was his idea to place a ten-foot dam at the outlet of Butte Lake. The ten-foot rise of the levels of Butte and Snag Lakes could impound a million gallons of water that could be utilized for irrigation downstream.