SEPTEMBER WATER LEVEL LOWEST SINCE 1988

by Tom Cox, Chair, Water Level Management Committee

"THE WATER IS SO LOW!" was a comment heard from more than one Ten Mile property owner as the season wore on this summer -- and not surprisingly. Minnesota on the whole has had abnormally low precipitation this year, and little rain at all since the end of June. On September 5, Walt Kane reported an elevation of 1378.76'. That's 9.8" lower than on this date a year ago, 6.6" lower than on November 1 last year and 4.2" lower than on May 1, 2003. Not since the drought year 1988, when on September 4 the reading was 1378.77', has the lake level been so low on this date. While some folks have been thrilled with the width of their beaches, some have been worried about getting boats off of hoists and out into the water. For the record, in keeping with the County's 2001 agreement with the DNR, the 4-inch stop log (actually 3.75", we now understand), has remained in the Birch Lake Dam control structure for the past two years.

PERHAPS THE MOST EXCITING water level news to report is that the DNR's two-year study of the Ten Mile-Boy River-Birch Lake-Birch Lake Dam-Pleasant Lake hydrology and hydraulics is now nearly complete. Dana Dostert of the DNR has made a Draft Report available to all who are interested. The bottom line: the DNR recommends a new, fixed weir control structure be installed on the dam's existing sill, one with a V-shaped opening that would let more water escape into the Boy River during periods of high flow, and less during periods of low flow. Meanwhile, the report affirms our surmise that precipitation and evaporation have a major effect on the level of Ten Mile, at times considerably more effect than the outflow at the dam. The hydraulics of the upper Boy River system are complex. You may see the DNR's full report, with historic photos of the dam, on the TMLA website (click here).

HERE IS AN UPDATED CHART of water levels based on readings taken since the creation of the TMLA Water Level Committee in 1999.