Water elevations drop at Johnson, South Turtle

By Tom Hintgen (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, October 11, 2008

Water at South Turtle Lake near Underwood has dropped a foot during the past 12 months, thanks to an outlet system. Water at Johnson Lake, east of Dalton, is down six feet after pumps were installed three years ago.

“Next spring we’ll remove the pumps at Johnson Lake,” said Charles Grotte of the county highway department who spoke to county commissioners on Tuesday. “These drawdowns are good news for residents near both of these lakes.”

A few years ago Johnson Lake was about six feet above its ordinary high water mark. That problem led to the county raising the road grade, about four feet above the lake water level.

Further north, near Underwood, water from North Turtle Lake goes to South Turtle Lake, then to Fiske Lake to Long Lake and then to Stalker Lake — into the Pomme de Terre River system.

In 2007 an outlet system was initiated to draw down South Turtle Lake. North Turtle Lake is about seven feet higher than South Turtle Lake. Thus North Turtle flows into South Turtle naturally.

Grotte said the elevation at South Turtle Lake stood at 1,321.60 feet in September 2007. This September the elevation was close to a foot down, at 1,320.64.

At Johnson Lake, the elevation went from 1,299.17 feet in May 2006 to 1,293 feet in September 2008 — a drop of six feet. Vinge Lake, to the south of Johnson Lake, dropped from 1,304.76 to 1,303.93, close to one foot.

Some Silver Lake area residents near Battle Lake wondered if the drawdown at their lake had any connection to the drawdown of water at North and South Turtle Lakes, to the west.

“Just because drawdown is going well with North Turtle and South Turtle Lakes, it’s uncertain as to whether there is a groundwater flow to the west from Silver Lake,” said Terry Lejcher, DNR hydrologist, Fergus Falls. “If there is, the DNR believes the flow would be minimal at best.”

Water flowed out naturally from South Turtle Lake in 1917.

“Back then the water flowed out of South Turtle naturally, at an elevation about 10 feet higher than South Turtle is today,” Lejcher said. “That’s based on survey evidence as well as a local resident's confirmation to the DNR.”

In July the Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners approved a plan to begin lowering the level of Lake Olaf near Pelican Rapids by discharging lake water toward the Pelican River. The project will get underway in 2009.

Consutants are working on the Lake Olaf plan as well as another plan for Iverson Lake near the truck stop southeast of Fergus Falls.

The drainage at Iverson Lake could be split three ways among Otter Tail County, Buse Township and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) which operates the rest stop along Interstate 94.

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