A popular fishing lake within Minnesota’s William O’Brien State Park was almost completely drained after a 65-year-old water control valve became stuck open, leading to loss of fish and the closure of all water activities on the lake.
“As soon as you get on the dock, you just see all of these dead fish,” said Dane Zierman, to CBS News. “There’s some big guys in here, too, some big giant carp, some big northerns, it’s just devastating.”
(ABOUT THE PHOTO: An accidental drawdown in Minnesota’s Lake Alice produced a fish kill for species such as northern pike. YouTube Screenshot from CBS News)
Infrastructure to Blame
According to a release from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the accident occurred on August 9 when staff — attempting to close the valve that manages the discharge of Lake Alice into the St. Croix River — realized they couldn’t stop the water. The valve was stuck, unable to be closed. The valve was opened previously to reduce high water levels from heavy rainfall in July and early August.
“Visitors should be aware that only a stream remains on Lake Alice at this time, impacting water recreation on Lake Alice for at least four to six weeks,” said the DNR, via a public release. “The swimming beach is not usable at this time. The lake drawdown has caused a fish kill in the lake.”
The near-total drawdown of the 26-acre spring-fed lake was sudden and dramatic, leading to water levels so low that fish were found lying on the ground by visitors. Fish species in the lake included bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, carp, yellow perch, and bullhead catfish. Deeper portions of the lake averaged four to five feet, with one hole in the southern part of the lake that dropped from six to nine feet.
Reports from news organizations at the lake stated that park goers tried to save fish species such as northern pike by grabbing them in their hands and releasing them into the nearby river.
Next Steps
According to the Minnesota DNR, there wasn’t any failure to the earthen dike and there aren’t downstream risks with the St. Croix River. The river remains unaffected and recreational activities on the river continue.
Minnesota DNR staff are currently assessing the structure to identify options and a timeline to address the problem. The current plan is to fix or replace the valve, allow the spring-fed lake to refill, and eventually restock the waterway with fish, according to reports. The state will release more information as the assessment of the water control structure progresses.
