For Minnesota’s Lake Alice, a drawdown gone awry

St. Paul — The DNR reported Aug. 12 that Lake Alice, located in William O’Brien State Park, experienced a near total water level drawdown due to a mechanical issue with a valve in the 65-year-old water-control structure that regulates its discharge to the St. Croix River.

Minnesota DNR staff are currently assessing the structure to identify options and a timeline to address the problem. The DNR will share further information when it becomes available.

As the DNR undertakes its assessment, visitors should be aware that water recreation opportunities are not available on Lake Alice at this time. The swimming beach is not usable and the drawdown has caused a fish kill in the lake. There are no downstream risks due to the mechanical issue with the valve, and neither the earthen dike nor the control structure itself have failed.

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Recreation on the St. Croix River is unaffected by the Lake Alice drawdown, and state park rentals of canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards continue to be available for use on the river. The public water access in the park is located on the St. Croix River, so it is not affected by the drawdown.

Lake Alice is a spring-fed lake with an earthen dike that holds water back and a concrete water-control structure. The valve in the control structure allows the DNR to manage water levels on the lake.

In July, DNR staff partially opened the valve after water from the lake began to overflow the dike, raising erosion concerns. Then, on Aug. 8, staff opened the valve farther to address ongoing water-level concerns.

Having successfully addressed the high water levels, staff attempted to close the valve Aug. 9. It was at this point that staff discovered the closure mechanism had failed and the valve was stuck open, resulting in the near total water level drawdown.