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Steve McComas: Lake drawdowns: some intended, others by surprise

Lake Byllesby, in Minnesota's Dakota and Goodhue counties, was formed in 1910 by the damming of the Cannon River and has typical reservoir characteristics. The riverine zone, which is the Cannon River, is west of the north-south highway. Next, the transition zone is where the river slows down and spreads out. In Byllesby, this area is 1 to 6 feet deep. The transition zone then transforms into the lacustrine (lake) zone to the east up to the dam. This zone exhibits typical lake characteristics. (GoogleEarth image)

Earlier in August, all the water of Lake Alice, a 26-acre lake in William O’Brien State Park (north of Stillwater, Minn.), drained accidentally into the St. Croix River when a valve stuck in the “open” position as high lake levels were being lowered due to recent heavy rains.
Lake Alice is a man-made reservoir (sometimes referred to as an impoundment) with a (former) maximum depth of 9 feet was created by an earthen dike built in 1961. In August, when the bottom valve wouldn’t close, the lake was drained.

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