WALT KANE REPORTS that the June 14th water level is the highest on record since the DNR began keeping Ten Mile's water level statistics in 1973. On June 14, Ten Mile's level stood at 1380.22' - .01' higher than the next highest reading, 1380.21', of April 27, 1979. The June 14 level is 2 inches above the May 1st level, 7.9 inches above the level of last November 1st, and 5.3 inches higher than June a year ago.

ON FRIDAY, JUNE 22ND, the six members of the Birch Lake Dam - Tri-Lake Management Board met with the Cass County Highway Engineer, David Enblom, to discuss the operation of the Birch Lake Outlet Structure. Following the meeting, the Engineer and members of the Board visited the structure, where water was flowing from Birch Lake an inch or more above the top of the structure's wingwalls, or about a foot above the level at which the 1976 DNR Permit stipulates that the stop log be removed. Mr. Enblom temporarily removed the six-inch stop log to observe the downstream effects of the ensuing surge of water. After about an hour's observation, Mr. Enblom reinserted the stop log. Then, on Monday, June 25th, following consultation with David Ford, Supervisor of the Surface Hydrology Unit in the DNR Central Office in St. Paul, Mr. Enblom had the stop log removed.

IN THE TEN DAYS between June 27th and July 6th, the TML water level dropped 1.8 inches and on the 6th stood at 1380.00'. This drop was due to both evaporation and increased run-out at the dam.

AT A COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' MEETING in Pillager on Tuesday, July 3, with the concurrence of the Tri-Lake Management Board, Mr. Enblom proposed that the Commissioners apply to the DNR for an amended permit, one that would call for a "fixed level" structure at the Birch Lake Outlet. The goal of this proposal is to establish a fixed level structure that will address both high and low water problems as well as practically possible from a hydrological and engineering standpoint, and cease the use of an operable stop log altogether. At present, Mr. Ford's St. Paul office is poised to provide technical assistance to Kirk English's office in Bemidji with respect to the development of an amended permit. A meeting to coordinate this effort was set for mid-July when this newsletter went to press.

by John Alden, Watershed Coordinator

As reported in the last Newsletter, I have written and TMLA has co-sponsored two grants recently awarded for studies of the Upper Boy River Water-shed (UBRW). The first is a Challenge Grant funded by the Board of Water, Soil and Resources (BWSR) for projects under $10,000. Cass County and TMLA proposed an initial study of the Watershed to identify environmentally sensitive areas in the the river and in lakes from Portage Lake to Big Deep Lake. With the support of TMLA, Cass County was granted a cash grant of $8,500, and will be financial agent for the grant. TMLA will offer voluntary assistance. Action items will include in-stream and lake evaluations of hydrological conditions and structures that may constrict or allow water flow.

The second grant is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency, which awarded $185,000 to the Mississippi Headwaters Board (MHB) to do non-point source pollution protection. Conversations of Bob Crom and Tom Cox of TMLA with Jane VanHunnik, Director of MHB, indicated our strong interest in expanding our existing programs for non-point pollution control, and revealed that our regular expenditures for water quality monitoring and watershed management satisfied grant match requirements. $36,000 of the EPA funds will be used to focus on water quality and the preservation and protection of ground-water and surface water resources in UBRW. This grant is more technical but will build on the findings of the first grant. Under this grant, the Functional Models developed by U of M Duluth and Cass County will be applied to identify environmentally sensitive areas in need of protection through the County Water Plan.