Watershed monitoring lake levels as rain water moves through system
Jul. 3—WORTHINGTON — With lots of water still flowing through the watershed due to recent rains, Okabena-Ocheda Watershed District Administrator Dan Livdahl reported to board members Tuesday that it will be a while before lake levels return to normal.
"Lake Ocheda was at the highest I've ever seen it," Livdahl said. "It's still 2.5 feet above the ordinary high water mark — it had been up to almost 3 feet. It's not going to go down quickly."
Lake Bella also has the highest water levels Livdahl said he's seen in 35 years. While the riprap remains in place on the pond around the Lake Bella spillway, Livdahl said continued churning of the water could result in damage.
"The longer the high water is flowing out, the greater the chance for downstream damage," he said.
Meanwhile, Lake Okabena in Worthington was sitting about .2 of an inch above the stop logs at the dam. While the water level there has dropped considerably, Livdahl noted a no wake advisory that was issued Monday by Nobles County Sheriff Ryan Kruger for all lakes in Nobles County. The advisory will be in place until water levels recede.
Livdahl noted that water quality, particularly in Lake Okabena, is quite poor with all of the nutrients that washed into the lake due to upland flooding. He said the eastern third was pretty green on Sunday, while the remainder of the lake was brown in color.
At Bella Park, portions of the trail system were still under 2 feet of water as of Tuesday, and Livdahl said there has been ankle-deep water on areas of the trail all season.
In addition to his report on flood conditions, Livdahl:
* Provided an update on the water storage pond planned on District 518 property south of the Intermediate School. He said he anticipated receiving a draft plan this week to share with the school district, and hoped to have enough permitting information to be able to seek bids on the project in September. Construction this fall is considered unlikely as contractors will be busy doing repairs to flood-damaged roadways, he said.
* Asked about doing maintenance on the restrooms in Bella Park. Board manager Casey Ingenthron has experience in construction and was willing to take a look at the structure. The restrooms are essentially outhouses with holding tanks.
* Noted that he wrote a letter of support to the city of Worthington for a proposed bird watching area west of Shine Brothers, near the intersection of Plotts Avenue and the Minnesota 60 turnback road.
* Mentioned a product of interest, Phoslock, that is showing success in capturing phosphorus from water and helping to improve water quality. The product hasn't been applied to lakes the size of Lake Okabena, but there is a lot of research being published about its use on small tributaries feeding into Lake Erie.
