Independent file photo This photo taken almost year ago shows high water on East Twin Lake creeping up over a boat landing. It was one of the effects of rising lake levels that Lyon County commissioners talked about in August of 2018 and on July 16.

MARSHALL — An area lake has been steadily rising, and a group of officials and interested parties have been meeting to discuss possible solutions.

Last Tuesday, after a presentation and discussion, the Lyon County Board approved quotes for a temporary draw down of East Twin Lake. The cost is expected to be less than $10,000.

Lyon County Planning and Zoning Administrator John Biren told the board there was a meeting July 8 about what to do with East Twin Lake, which is in southwest Lyon County. The Lyon County Soil and Water Conservation District conducted the meeting with neighboring landowners and a consulting engineer to talk about a possible outlet for the lake.

“There was a very good turnout at the meeting,” said Biren. “We had one landowner that was absent, they had a conflict, but is very supportive.”

A hydrologist from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources was at the meeting as well.

Biren said the lake has “quite a history of going up over a long period of time. In 1967 it had 1660 elevation. From 1967 to 1996, we’re about 17 and a half feet. Then in 2007 we went up to 1687 and a half and that’s when the boat ramp was constructed at about that level. In 2018, the elevation was 1697.”

Water has covered the public boat landing.

“One thing the group agreed to was the target elevation,” Biren said. “We’d like a target of 1687 because of the boat ramp which was put in in 2011.”

The lake currently has no natural outlet, according to the study by Bolton & Menk, an engineering firm. “The 350-acre lake is growing even though it has a relatively small watershed of roughly 800 acres. Area landowners reported that the lake levels were fairly consistent through the 1980s, but the lake started growing in earnest after the extremely wet summer of 1991,” according to the report.

The Minnesota DNR set an Ordinary High Water level of 1676 in 1996. Historic aerial photographs show that County Road No. 53 once crossed the lake near the north line of Sections 32 and 33 in Shelburne Township. That roadway was submerged and permanently closed in 1991. The wetland to the south of the roadway was originally called Mitchell Slough. It is now a contiguous part of East Twin Lake.

Because the increase in the lake elevation has grown to levels that cause damage to adjacent agricultural lands, increase erosion of higher unprotected slopes and threatens a house, the County began investigating possible methods of diverting flow toward the Redwood River to the east. Bolton & Menk recommended a permanent outfall that includes a pipe that connects the lake to an outlet manhole with a 5-foot-wide interior stop log control weir.

A temporary pump was being considered using the DNR’s pump.

“After more discussions, with the water events that we’ve had in the spring and summer, the discussion turned more toward using gravity and a tile system so the suggestion at the meeting was to get quotes to use a tile system to temporarily lower the lake and keep it safe so it doesn’t go over the top,” Biren said.

Trees have already been adversely affected by the water.

“Historic oaks and cottonwoods, they’re submerged in water,” he said. “They are probably 120, 130 years old. The erosion that occurs after that is horrendous.”

The group is working on a permanent solution with various funding sources.

“We currently have a letter of intent for Homeland Security for flood mitigation,” Biren said. “We also have a grant from the Water Council. There appears to be some promise with that. The council will be ranking these projects now and we’ll learn in August if we get an interview or not.”

If the Legislature approves those grants, “money would be available the next construction season, not this construction season.”

In the meantime, Biren said, something temporary needs to be done.

“I’ve asked for quotes to install a subsurface system that will use gravity, a tile system, if you will, to drain the water down from East Twin with the idea of at least keeping it from going over the top and bring it down a little,” he said.

Biren received quotes for the temporary draw down.

“I called six different contractors and we all know how busy folks right now with all the work there is in the drainage industry. We were able to get two quotes,” he said. “I asked the contractors that we would like to get this done in 30 days. Southwest Farm Tiling and Parker Excavating responded and the Parker Excavating quote was lower.”