“Mechanical issue” unexpectedly drains one of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes, state DNR says
By Aki Nace, Lisa Meadows
Click here for updates on this story
Minnesota (WCCO) — Officials are working to restore a lake northeast of the Twin Cities after a “mechanical issue” caused nearly all the water to drain.
Alice Lake in William O’Brien State Park is typically 9 feet deep and stretches 26 acres, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. However, recent rains caused the water level to rise and flow over into the St. Croix River.
“It’s crazy, for this to happen, I just don’t know how it happens,” says nearby resident Dane Zierman. “It’s insane. You just start driving down, and you see all these weeds and there’s just no water.”
The department said staff were working to drain some of the excess water from the lake into the river, but an issue with its “water control structure” caused it to drain almost completely.
Sara Berhow with the Minnesota State Parks & Trails says, “When the water level was back to what it should be, the staff attempted to close that valve, but the mechanism that closes that valve was not functioning, and the valve could not be closed.”
Berhow added that staff are working on next steps to “repair the control structure and restore the lake.”
“Once the valve is able to be closed again, the streams will replenish the water in the lakes, so it will naturally come back to the level,” she said.
Minnesota State Parks and Trails said once the valve is fixed, it will take about a month for the lake to return to normal levels.
“As soon as you get on the dock, you just see all of these dead fish. There’s some big guys in here, too, some big giant carp, some big northerns, it’s just devastating,” Zierman said.
On Monday afternoon, he was saving what fish he could and released them in the river.
Alice Lake is known for its wide variety of fish. The DNR says anglers can find bluegills, largemouth bass, northern pikes and walleyes among other varieties.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
