http://www.startribune.com/stories/531/3606120.html
Ground water suspected in 'black holes' on Long Lake, Forest Lake Doug Smith Star Tribune (Minnesota) January 22, 2003 If aliens are responsible for the mysterious "black hole" at North Long Lake near Brainerd, then they're apparently causing mischief to other Minnesota lakes, too. An equally puzzling triangle-shaped swath of blue water has opened on Forest Lake, just north of the Twin Cities. The lake, a popular ice fishing and snowmobiling destination, normally is frozen solid by the end of December. And the opening, which first appeared during a warm spell earlier this month, has continued to grow, despite recent sub-zero temperatures. The phenomenon has perplexed residents, city officials and law enforcement officials. It also is forcing major changes for the annual Golden Rainbow Ice Fishing Contest, one of the largest ice fishing contests in the nation, which usually attracts 6,000 to 8,000 anglers to Forest Lake. "I've never seen anything like this on the lake," said Forest Lake Police Chief Dave Schwartz, who has been a policeman there for 34 years and a resident even longer. "It's bizarre." "It's baffling everyone," said Jerry Cusick, deputy with the Washington County Sheriff's Department. "And it's getting bigger." The open water -- perhaps 200 yards long by 100 yards wide -- on the northeast side of the lake isn't known as a problem spot, and ice there in other years has been up to 30 inches thick, Schwartz said. No one has fallen in the open water yet, but a car did crash through thin ice nearby on Sunday. No one was seriously hurt. Officials have posted signs at public access and near the open water warning of the dangerous conditions, and they are recommending that vehicles stay off the lake. As for putting thousands of anglers on Forest Lake for the Feb. 1 ice fishing contest, a big mid-winter community event: "There's absolutely no way," Schwartz said. "I wouldn't recommend putting 60 people out there." Hole forces changes The Hopkins Jaycees, which operates the contest as a fundraiser, said Tuesday that the contest still will be held -- but with major changes. Normally anglers gather on one area of the lake near downtown Forest Lake in a festival-like scene and fish one of the 10,000 pre-drilled holes. Contestants who catch a fish scramble to the weigh-in station, vying for $125,000 in prizes. This year, anglers will be allowed to fish on any lake in the surrounding area. They will have to drill their own holes, and then must bring their catch to Forest Lake's Northland Mall to be weighed. "You can fish where you want," said Jason Gadd of the Hopkins Jaycees. "It's the first-ever multi-lake contest. It should be interesting." Gadd acknowledged the situation is less than ideal and that organizers have less control. In 1997, the top two prize-winning anglers were accused of cheating by bringing fish they had caught earlier to the contest. Both forfeited their prizes, including a pickup truck. But after losing about $60,000 last year when warm weather forced the contest's cancellation, "we had to do something," Gadd said. Anglers must bring their catch alive to the weigh-in, Gadd said. Normally the contest would raise about $60,000 for charities in Forest Lake and Hopkins, he said. Aliens not suspect At North Long Lake near Brainerd, residents have offered tongue-in-cheek reasons for the open water there -- ranging from earthquakes and aliens to meteors and lake monsters. But the opening is considered serious and dangerous, and the Watershed District has hired experts to study the situation. Mike Mueller, a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources hydrologist, and Steve McComas of St. Paul, an aquatic specialist who owns Blue Water Science, said they think they know what is causing the problem at North Long, Forest and other lakes that have experienced unusual open water or thin ice this winter: Ground water. "Up here in Cambridge, Minn., we're 25 inches above normal for rainfall," said Mueller. "It's the wettest it's been in 70 years. The water tables are full. All of these lakes have interaction with the ground water." The surplus of warmer ground water is flowing in from the lake bottoms, producing currents that are melting ice in some areas or creating thin ice in others, Mueller said. "That's my theory," he said. Forest Lake and North Long Lake aren't the only lakes to be affected, he said. There have been several lakes in the Cambridge and Chisago City areas with open water, Mueller said. McComas agrees with Mueller's theory. "We have a number of lakes with holes and openings like this," he said. "I was just out at Lake Marion in Lakeville on the same type of thing. There's open water and steam and hundreds of ducks and geese on it." Said McComas: "It looks like it's groundwater coming up through the lake bed with enough force and velocity to erode the bottom of the ice and open it." He said the Mississippi River flow has spiked recently. "Groundwater is on the move," Mueller said. He said an underwater TV camera at North Long Lake showed groundwater flowing in with enough force to make underwater plants wave, making it the prime suspect. Al Cibuzar, a chemist and CEO of A.W. Research Laboratories in Brainerd, which is working on the North Long Lake puzzle, said Tuesday that an inflow of groundwater appears to be a major factor there. "But we're still not convinced it's all [due to] groundwater. We need more data," he said. Meanwhile, residents continue to watch the openings at North Long Lake and Forest Lake grow larger. But it's more than just a curiosity. A man drowned last year at the area on North Long Lake. "It's important to understand this, because when it starts to take lives, it's a big deal," Cibuzar said. ______________________________________________ Meteorite-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
