by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
What was once a low-lying swamp area more than 100 years ago rapidly became a “lake” when construction of a dam by Sartell caused water to back up, filling that swamp area and creating what is now Little Rock Lake.
The body of water, two miles southeast of Rice, is fed by a 60,000-acre watershed north of the lake, with inflowing creeks – Little Rock, Sucker and Zelander creeks – and an outlet from the lake into the Mississippi River to the west.
The Sartell dam was built in 1911 by the Watab Pulp and Paper Mill in Sartell.
The surface of Little Rock Lake is 1,450 acres with 16 miles of shoreline. It’s a shallow lake with a maximum depth of 24 feet with most of it 15-feet deep or less. In the 1940s, the lake was a thriving habitat for lake vegetation, fish and waterfowl. Gradually, however, nutrient algal blooms in the lake caused a slow but sure decline in the health of the lake. Starting in the 1970s, the lake rapidly declined due mainly to nutrients such as phosphorus running into the lake.
As a result, the clarity of the water is very poor; many non-native vegetation has taken over; and the number of rough fish has increased dramatically.
There are slightly more than 300 people who own 381 parcels of land around Little Rock Lake.
Throughout the years, the Little Rock Lake Association has partnered with many agencies to try to improve the health of the lake with such projects as residential-property shoreline vegetation planting with deep-rooted native plants, erosion-control projects and various buffer zones. Such methods can help keep pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers from running into the lake, which can wreak havoc by causing algal blooms that rob the lake of oxygen and decrease clarity and sunlight penetration.
There are 21 kinds of aquatic plants in Little Rock Lake, many non-native and non-beneficial. There are at least 15 kinds of fish, ranging from rough fish to bass, sunfish, northern pike and walleye.
The lake was the subject of an extensive scientific survey in 2005, which revealed many symptoms of declining health. In 2008, Little Rock Lake was placed on the Impaired Waters list. That is why efforts have intensified to restore the lake’s vitality in recent years, making what is Benton County’s largest lake once again a recreational and nature-nourishing asset for the area.
Two Canada Geese “parents” keep a watchful eye out as they take their goslings on a single-file swim on Little Rock Lake.
