Lake mysteriously vanishes and leaves confused kids playing in the dry sand
Lake Alice has vanished from William O'Brien State Park and all that remains of the once sprawling body of water is a creek running through the empty lake bed and swarms of dead fish.
The lake was completely drained due to 'a mechanical failure of the water control structure' that came after officials attempted to control increasing water levels.
A malfunctioning valve led to a 'significant drawdown' of the water level on the lake, officials say.
'Due to heavy precipitation last month, water levels on Lake Alice were steadily increasing,' said a statement from officials.
When water levels became 'high enough that water was flowing over the dike between the lake and the St Croix River', Minnesota Department of Natural Resources staff opened the water control structure's valve to release excess water from Lake Alice, but they couldn't close the valve.
Park-goers say they've never seen anything like it.
'This is crazy. I've been camping here for years, and I've never ever seen it like this. It's kind of sad, actually,' Rose Wolfson, a Minnesotan, told KSTP.
However this time around, the Wolfson's trip to Lake Alice was a flop - the confused children used their water toys to play in the dry sand and they certainly didn't get a chance to swim.
'They're [kids] having fun. They're disappointed they couldn't swim, but they're making the best of it,' Wolfson said. 'I'd like to see a lake again so that they could swim.'
Another park visitor said, 'I feel badly for the fish population.'
Lake Alice is known for great fishing, with various species that include bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, yellow perch and bullhead.
The lake usually spreads over 26 acres and is nine feet deep.
Wayne Boerner, of Minnesota DNR, said the fish population will take a massive hit, but that other species will benefit from that.
'A bad day for one animal is a good day for another,' Boerner said. 'This morning you saw a few hawks going around. They are using this as basically somewhere to feed. You also have turtles down there. They're feeding on some of the dead fish.'
'They're [kids] having fun. They're disappointed they couldn't swim, but they're making the best of it,' a local said
Lake Alice hasn't always existed. It was once just a stream, until the DNR installed a dike and water control system in 1961, turning it into a lake.
'We are seeing what is underneath Lake Alice right now from pre-1961,' Boerner said. 'We always want to do proactive measures for a lot of our infrastructure. In some cases, we don't have the money to do it certain times, or it gets delayed.'
'This was an accident through failed infrastructure,' he explained.
The DNR said it could take at least a month to get the water back in Lake Alice.
Luckily, the William O'Brien State Park sits on the St. Croix River, another great option for visitors looking for fishing, boating and paddling.
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