Benson County Farmers Press - Minnewaukan, ND
| Volume 120, Number 42 | Wednesday, November 19, 2003 |
http://www.bensoncountynews.com/
BY RICHARD PETERSON

About 30 people gathered at the St. James Catholic Church parish hall in
Minnewaukan for a semi-annual meeting of the Devils Lake Outlet Advisory
Committee. County Commissioner Barry Cox of Warwick is Benson County's
representative on the committee. The meeting was conducted by Dale Frink,
state engineer.
Minnewaukan native Bruce Engelhardt of Bismarck, project engineer for the ND
State Water Commission's emergency west end outlet to Devils Lake through
Benson County, gave a presentation on the engineering aspects of the
project.
Frink explained that the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty with Canada effectively
precludes putting any water from the east end of the lake into the Sheyenne
River. He added that the state's emergency outlet and the US Army Corps of
Engineers outlet plan both must meet the Boundary Waters Treaty. "We're
confident the west end outlet will meet the treaty obligations," Frink said.
Water quality was discussed. Water in the Mauvais Coulee and Pelican Lake is
similar to water in the Sheyenne River. Quality deteriorates significantly
as one moves east. The water in Stump Lake is at least 10 times as salty as
water in West Bay of Devils Lake near Minnewaukan. 
He added that Devils Lake will not rise until Stump Lake fills. Water flows
into Stump Lake from Devils Lake at a lake elevation of 1446.5. And there is
a "trickle" of about 3 cubic feet per second (cfs) flowing from Devils Lake
into Stump Lake. The lake's elevation Nov. 11 was 1446.3, so the channel
between the two lakes has apparently eroded, Frink observed.
It was explained that earlier this summer the amount of water entering Stump
Lake was far from a trickle. At 30 cfs, the flow amounted to 20 million
gallons of water per day. The city of Fargo uses approximately 15 million
gallons per day.
Even with a 30 cfs natural outlet to Stump Lake which has been operating a
couple years, the lake is only 1.7 feet below its all-time high. "If this
coming winter is similar to 1997, Stump Lake would fill by the spring of
2005," Frink said.
Engelhardt said the state's outlet would operate at 100 cfs, even though the
open channel portions of the project are being constructed to 300 cfs. If
the state wants to increase the capacity above 100 cfs, it will have to go
through the permitting process again. Completion is expected in 2005.
Engelhardt said the outlet will operate from May to November, approximately
210 days, and will remove a maximum of four inches from the lake per year.
"The purpose of the outlet is not to eliminate flooding, but to slow the
rise of the lake," he said. If the lake drops to a level of 1445, pumping
will stop.
Thelma Paulson of Maddock, president of the Peterson Coulee Outlet
Association, said the four- inch figure is unrealistic. She said the outlet
would not be operating every day and that a more realistic figure was
probably two inches.
Annual cost of operation of the 100 cfs outlet was estimated at about $1
million per year, which would be borne by the state.
Construction of the state's outlet has been halted by winter weather, but
legal action has not stopped. The People to Save the Sheyenne organization
has appealed the issuance of the State Water Commission's permit in district
court. "We expect they will also appeal the State Health Department's
permit," Frink said.
The Ramsey and Towner County commissioners and water boards were the
sponsoring organizations in getting the State Water Commission to undertake
the west end outlet. The Benson County commissioners and the Benson County
Water Resource Board have been unanimously opposed to the outlet through
Benson County.
John Beckstrand of Warwick, chairman of the Benson County water board, said
Benson County has been ignored in the process. "If you were to dig a ditch
across Towner County, wouldn't you have the common courtesy to ask them?"
Beckstrand asked.
Frink responded that the Benson County commissioners have been consulted and
the State Water Commission has had countless meetings with landowners. 
This brought a response from Verdel and Luella Olson of Maddock who claimed
they had no personal contact, except by phone. "And the offers change
continuously," Verdel Olson said. He added, "We want everything in writing
because we don't trust talk over the phone."
Mrs. Paulson proposed that Gov. Hoeven, who serves as chairman of the State
Water Commission, conduct a meeting in Benson County with landowners and
other interested parties. "We could tell the governor our concerns
first-hand," she said.
Frink said he would relay this request to Gov. Hoeven.
Cox said the county commissioners had asked Gov. Hoeven to have a meeting in
Benson County "and we didn't even get a reply," he said.
Olson said the state is willing to spend millions for pipes and pumps but is
trying to obtain the land for the outlet for "peanuts." Mrs. Paulson added
that the members of her association are willing to meet with landmen as a
group. "But we don't like this process of divide and conquer," she added.
The Olsons left the meeting at this point, saying it was a waste of time.
Frink said it was not feasible to negotiate with a group because different
parcels of property have different values. "And some people simply don't
want to negotiate," he said, "but we can't help that."
He said again that his office is prepared to meet with landowners,
commissioners or other interested parties at any time.
Mike Sauer of the State Health Department gave a lengthy explanation of how
the department will monitor the outlet and its effects on the Sheyenne
River. "This is the most detailed analysis for any water permit the state
has ever granted," Sauer said. Speaking without notes he went into details
of the process citing tests for different dissolved solids, temperature,
etc.
When he finished, Beckstrand asked, "Isn't it hard on the brain to know so
much?"
Lyle Huffman, who lives across Round Lake from where the pumps will be
located, was concerned that they would be noisy. Engelhardt assured him that
the pumps would generate about 90 decibels, approximately the same noise
level as a farm tractor, so this shouldn't be a problem.
"Yes," responded Huffman, "but they turn the tractors off at night when
we're trying to sleep."
Mrs. Paulson reiterated at the end of the meeting that it was important Gov.
Hoeven come to Benson County to conduct a meeting on this subject.