In the case of Wick v. Chelan Electric Company, 1929, the U.S Supreme Court ruled in favor of Chelan Electric Company. The dispute arose when Wick, a landowner whose property was adjacent to Lake Chelan in Washington State, sued the electric company for raising the water level of the lake due to its dam construction which resulted in flooding and damage to his property. He sought compensation for damages and an injunction against further flooding. However, it was found that under federal law at that time (the Federal Water Power Act), only those who owned land up to high-water mark had rights over any changes made by power companies with federally granted licenses - such as building dams or altering water levels - even if these actions caused harm or loss on their properties. Since Wick's ownership did not extend up to this mark but stopped at low-water mark instead; he could not claim damages from alterations above this point according to federal law thus making him ineligible for compensation.

In the dissenting opinion for Wick v. Chelan Electric Company, it was argued that the majority's decision to uphold a Washington state law requiring all electric companies to obtain a certificate of public convenience and necessity before constructing or operating any line, plant or system went against previous court rulings. The dissenting justices believed this requirement constituted an undue burden on interstate commerce and violated the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. They contended that while states have authority over local matters, they should not be allowed to regulate activities which are inherently national in scope such as electricity transmission across state lines. Furthermore, they disagreed with the majority's view that there was no discrimination against out-of-state businesses since both in-state and out-of-state companies were subject to same regulations; instead arguing that this regulation disproportionately affected non-local entities seeking entry into Washington’s market thereby creating an unfair barrier to trade.