Should Little Rock Lake be lowered three feet?

by Dennis Dalman

editor@thenewsleaders.com

Should Little Rock Lake be lowered by three feet for six weeks?

That question will be the topic of a public meeting from 7-9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 29 at the Old Village Hall in Rice. The meeting will be conducted by the Area Fisheries Office of the Department of Natural Resources in Little Falls, with keynote speaker Eric Altena, DNR Area Fisheries supervisor.

Invitations to the meeting will soon be sent to members of the Little Rock Lake Association and people who live on the Mississippi River between Rice and Sartell. However, anyone is welcome to attend, invitation or not.

The purpose of the meeting is to get information, both pro and con, about a plan to revive the vitality of Little Rock Lake, partly by lowering its level for a six-week period. Recently, Altena presented the plan to the LRLA during a meeting attended by about 65 people at Watab Township Hall. According to Maureen Graber, president of the LRLA, most people at the meeting seemed to be in favor of the plan or at least somewhat open-minded about it.

Graber said although the DNR, in conjunction with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, does not need any kind of vote to implement the plan, it does seek a consensus of residents before it would proceed with it.

In an interview with the Sauk Rapids-Rice Newsleader Jan. 26, Altena said there are three goals of the lake “drawdown,” as it’s dubbed:

1. Improve water quality of Little Rock Lake.
2. Stabilize shoreline erosion.
3. Improve fish habitat.

Here is what the three-year lake-restoration plan would involve, as explained by Altena:

During the first year, 2016, data would be gathered about Little Rock Lake and its 60,000-acre watershed.

In the second year, the warm months of September to mid-July, the lake level would be lowered gradually over a three-day period by three feet. To do that, the dam at Sartell would have to be opened to allow the river’s water level to drop one-tenth of one foot per hour over the three days. That, in turn, would cause the level of Little Rock Lake to lower by three feet.

During the third year, the shoreline areas would be documented via videotape, the fish habitat would be studied and then a schedule of periodic drawdowns might be initiated to further the growth of healthy vegetation.

Altena said the benefits of the drawdown plan would likely include compaction of sediment along the shoreland area, causing more positive plant growth there; improving water clarity and helping with nutrient uptake by strong beneficial deep-rooted vegetation.

Possible drawbacks to a drawdown could include possible navigational hazards of a lowered lake, reduced landowner access to the lake or the Mississippi River, a noxious smell for some weeks and some reduction of hydro-electric production at the Sartell dam.

Graber, as president of the LRLA, is enthusiastic about the plan.

“I’ve attended lots of seminars and workshops on water quality and native vegetation,” she said. “I’ve assisted and worked with native shoreline buffers for six years now. I believe the drawdown would have an immediate and positive impact on shorelines, the vegetation, the water quality and, therefore, the fish and wildlife.”

Both Altena and Graber are encouraging people in the Rice area and on the river to become knowledgeable about lake and river issues. There are many ways to accomplish that. People can go to the DNR fisheries website at littlefalls.fisheries@state.mn.us. They can also become a member or attend meetings of the LRLA, which meets the second Saturday of every month at 10 a.m. at the Watab Township Hall. The next meeting is set for Feb. 13 when guest speaker Gerry Maciej will lead a discussion about vegetation buffer methods and other ways to improve water quality at the Little Rock Lake area. Maciej is manager of the Benton Soil and Water Conservation Service.

Those who cannot attend the Feb. 29 public meeting in downtown Rice but who would like to give input, either pro or con, can do so by sending comments to Eric Altena, Little Falls Area Fisheries Office, 16543 Haven Road, Little Falls, Minn. 56345. Or he can be emailed at eric.altena@state.mn.us

LRLA

The Little Rock Lake Association was founded in 1961 by residents who lived at the edge of the lake.

Annual dues to join are $25.

The group sponsors an annual coloring contest for students at Rice Elementary School to promote an awareness of good water-quality stewardship; they host an annual picnic at Rumors Bar and Grill; and they also sponsor the annual boat-pontoon Fourth of July parade on Little Rock Lake.

Throughout the year, members do research and network with water-quality agencies to keep up with latest research and restoration methods.