For those of you who missed it in May, here's a Star Tribune story
explaining why the creek is dry. .Essentially, Lake Minnetonka is
still catching up from a dry fall last year, a dry winter and a dry
spring, plus another dry fall now. For those who want more
information, here's a web site: http://www.minnehahacreek.org/
Paper: STAR TRIBUNE (Mpls.-St. Paul) Newspaper of the Twin Cities
Headline: Minnehaha Creek myths // Low water prompts flood of
suspicion
Date: 05/01/00
Section: NEWS
Page: 01A
Edition: METRO
Byline: Mark Brunswick; Staff Writer
Graphic: MAP;PHOTO
Length: 26.8
Subject: water;weather;agency;natural resource
Slug: CREK01
This is the land of 10,000 lakes, so why not 10,000 conspiracy
theories as well?
Take the case of the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, an
obscure agency charged with controlling the water flowing into Lake
Minnetonka and through the 22 miles of Minnehaha Creek to the
Mississippi River.
Some folks living along Lake Minnetonka want to know why the
district is pandering to those downstream by keeping water levels
low at the lake.
Others see a stream of water worthy of a garden hose flowing over
Minnehaha Falls and want to know where the district and the state
Department of Transportation are diverting water during
reconstruction of Hwy. 55.
A tour bus operator in Minnehaha Park called the folks at the
Watershed District recently and asked them to turn on the falls
because he was going to be leading a group by there soon.
But district officials say that Mother Nature, not Big Brother,
is making water levels low. By last Thursday, the Twin Cities area
had received 4.12 inches of precipitation, compared with 8.36
during the same period in 1999.
Last week, the district held a preemptive public summit to pass
along information such as where docks can be put in and to address
myths about the lake and creek.
Officials said at least a foot or more of rain will be needed to
bring levels up to normal, taking into account evaporation and
ground absorption.
The key to the issue is the dam at Grays Bay, on the eastern edge
of Lake Minnetonka.
Constructed in its current form in 1979, the dam controls water
flowing from the lake, where expensive houses abound and a boating
industry flourishes, into Minnehaha Creek, where canoeists,
innertubers and kayakers wait. It is closed when lake levels drop
below 928.6 feet above sea level, which has been the case since
September. Last Friday, as watershed officials looked skyward, the
level was 928.26 feet.
.
Debunking conspiracies
While the summit was a civil affair, with about 20 people
politely asking questions, complaint calls to the district
continued afterward.
Historically, suspicions have been so prevalent that the district
put out a document three years ago titled, "Myth of the Open Dam."
"Lake Minnetonka isn't a swimming pool to fill on command," wrote
Watershed District President Pam Blixt. "Dial-A-Lake-Level service
does not exist. Even if we wanted to lower Lake Minnetonka, opening
the dam to do it would be like emptying a swimming pool with a
straw."
The district finds itself frequently disputing the same myths:
- The myth of whim: While some charge that the district opens and
closes the dam as it pleases, it actually follows a detailed plan,
coordinated with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and
predicated not only by water levels, but also time of year and
other criteria set by the DNR.
- The Libb's Lake mistake: Water flowing into this finger lake
south of Grays Bay is frequently mistaken as evidence that the dam
is open. The actual outflow is to the north.
- The two-level twist: Some people have complained that when the
dam is open, parts of the lake are drained, while others are
allowed to remain at higher levels. But "think of your bathtub,"
Blixt explained. "When you pull the plug, the level goes down all
at the same rate."
- The secret of the seven wells: In 1938, seven wells were
installed in Lake Minnetonka to pump water into the lake from the
aquifer. At one point, the lake level increased 49 inches. But
during the summer of 1942, a combination of precipitation and
pumping sent water over the dam and into the creek. The wells,
which Hennepin County owns, have since been capped and are not
operational, the Watershed District said. Still, the idea of
reopening them comes up frequently during dry times.
Watershed District Administrator Eric Evenson has received most
of the calls recently, fielding about a dozen on conspiracy
theories alone in the past few weeks. He has been at the watershed
for about a year and a half and has been told to expect more calls,
particularly if sunny skies continue.
"They said it's been the worst since 1987, when the lake levels
were low," he said. "People are absolutely convinced we are
draining the lake."
.
A seasoned observer
Paul Pedersen, owner of Gray's Bay Resort and Marina in Wayzata,
watches the water levels along Lake Minnetonka like a farmer
watches the soil. He has heard the conspiracy theories before, but
makes it his business to dismiss extremists on both sides. He knows
the lake.
"You have people that believe someone says, `Hey, the king of
Norway is coming; open up the falls.' That doesn't happen," he said.
He remembers that when levels were low in the 1980s, experts
predicted it would take 10 years to replenish the lake. But levels
were back to normal the next year.
And last year, levels were low in the spring, but rain in May and
June forced officials to establish "no-wake" zones on parts of the
lake later because of fear of erosion from high water.
"The simple fact is, it's too early in the year to listen to
anybody," Pedersen said. "That's the way this lake is. You can't
predict it."
- The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District's Web site is at
http://www.minnehahacreek.org/
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