by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Plans for a drawdown of Little Rock Lake near Rice and part of the Mississippi River have reached a snag, and alternative options will have to be considered, according to a press release from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Little Falls Fisheries Office.
DNR officials recently met with Eagle Creek Energy, which operates the dam on the Mississippi River at Sartell. That dam is crucial in lowering the level of the river upstream so the lake and river levels can be lowered by about three feet. The original plan was to lower those bodies of water by that level so eco-system health could be enhanced in both.
However, Eagle Creek Energy officials said there would be significant loss of revenue with less energy generated at the dam during a drawdown, as well as complexities having to do with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Thus far, the alternatives include the following:
- Operate the dam at a lower level (2 feet instead of 3 feet).
- A temporary coffer constructed that would isolate Little Rock Lake by using a water-inflatable tube dam. Using a temporary tube dam and pumping after a shorter four- to five-day drawdown would initiate a longer-term drawdown within Little Rock Lake and in the river channel area.
According to the DNR, those options are doable and funding can be acquired for them.
The DNR intends to work closely with the Little Rock Lake Association and the Benton County Soil and Water Conservation District to draft a grant proposal for a project that could happen in the summer of 2018.
Excessive nutrients in Little Rock Lake have accumulated over time, causing undesirable weed growth and lack of water clarity due to massive algae blooms. In addition, during algae blooms, the lake water can be highly dangerous to children, pets and even adults. A drawdown, according to the DNR, could restore the quality of the lake by causing good vegetation to grow, by increasing the uptake of nutrients like phosphorus and by preventing erosion (and also nutrient runoff) on shorelines. The results would enhance the lake for fish and wildlife habitat.
Some of the same problems exist in the river in the area between Little Rock Lake and the Sartell area.
In the meantime, the DNR is trying to address other problems, which include agriculture runoff from the watershed north of the lake, promoting alternative-farming methods, manure management and septic-system upgrades in the area.
If a drawdown is accomplished in 2018, it would likely last six weeks, from the second week of July to the end of August. A drawdown would reduce recreation somewhat in Little Rock Lake and also on the river up to the Rice bridge.
