Latest news with #watercontrol
CBS News
3 days ago
- Climate
- CBS News
Minnesota DNR hopes to find positives after Alice Lake drains due to "mechanical issue"
Nearly a week after a mechanical failure led to millions of gallons of water dumping out of Alice Lake at William O'Brien State Park, Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources is trying to focus on the positive. The state agency is also working to learn how other parks can prevent similar malfunctions. A broken valve prevented park staff from closing a water control structure after they opened it to drain excess rainwater. On Friday, DNR staff told WCCO the valve should have been replaced nearly 30 years ago. Other parks across the state currently have similar, aging infrastructure. To replace the dozens of necessary parts would cost nearly $20 million. The DNR is not setting a timetable on when water could be back, but says meetings are happening across the agency to discuss using this time to eradicate invasive weeds and replace them with native grasses – something that couldn't happen under 9 feet of water. Staff are also working to create a plan to make any replacement "climate resilient," as increased rainfall could pose more wear and tear on the system. "It's an extremely unfortunate situation, what happened here, but it's an opportunity to step back, reset and think about what we can create for the future that will be better," said Rachel Hopper, visitor services and outreach manager with Minnesota's DNR. "The plan as of right now is to restore the lake." Note: The above video first aired on Aug. 11, 2025.
CNN
5 days ago
- Climate
- CNN
Why concrete might be doing more harm than good in the fight against flood risks
Much of the modern world is built on the idea that we can control water. But concrete infrastructure is failing amid unprecedented levels of rain. With 'sponge cities,' landscape architect Kongjian Yu turns to nature for solutions.
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Minnesota works to replenish lake level after draining from mechanical failure
Minnesota officials are working to restore water to one of the state's lakes after 'a mechanical failure of the water control structure' there caused it to drain significantly over the weekend. In a statement on Monday, the Minnesota department of natural resources (DNR) said that it was responding to the issue at Lake Alice in William O'Brien state park while noting that the malfunction in question had resulted in a 'significant drawdown of the lake level'. The department as of Monday said that 'only a stream remains on Lake Alice at this time' and warned visitors that water recreation on the lake would probably be affected for 'at least four to six weeks'. The lake's swimming beach is not currently usable, and the drawdown has 'caused a fish kill in the lake', officials added. Lake Alice is typically 9ft (2.7 meters) deep and spans 26 acres (10 hectares), according to the DNR's website. In a Monday afternoon update on social media, officials with Minnesota state parks and trails said that Lake Alice was 'spring-fed lake with an earthen dike that holds water back', and it had a 65-year-old water concrete control structure that 'can be manually operated to manage lake levels by allowing water to flow out into the St Croix River'. 'Due to heavy precipitation last month, water levels on Lake Alice were steadily increasing,' said the statement from officials. The statement added that when water levels became 'high enough that water was flowing over the dike between the lake and the St Croix River, DNR staff opened the water control structure's valve to release excess water from Lake Alice'. 'Upon attempting to close the valve over the weekend, staff discovered the control structure closure mechanism had failed and was stuck open, which has caused the lake to drain,' the statement continued. The statement said staff had since been working to resolve the issue, but a 'timeline for restoring lake levels is not known yet'.
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Minnesota works to replenish lake level after draining from mechanical failure
Minnesota officials are working to restore water to one of the state's lakes after 'a mechanical failure of the water control structure' there caused it to drain significantly over the weekend. In a statement on Monday, the Minnesota department of natural resources (DNR) said that it was responding to the issue at Lake Alice in William O'Brien state park while noting that the malfunction in question had resulted in a 'significant drawdown of the lake level'. The department as of Monday said that 'only a stream remains on Lake Alice at this time' and warned visitors that water recreation on the lake will likely be affected for 'at least four to six weeks'. The lake's swimming beach is not currently usable, and the drawdown has 'caused a fish kill in the lake', officials added. Lake Alice is typically 9ft (2.7 meters) deep and spans 26 acres (10 hectares), according to the DNR's website. In a Monday afternoon update on social media, officials with Minnesota said that Lake Alice is 'spring-fed lake with an earthen dike that holds water back', and it has a 65-year-old water concrete control structure that 'can be manually operated to manage lake levels by allowing water to flow out into the St Croix River'. 'Due to heavy precipitation last month, water levels on Lake Alice were steadily increasing,' said the statement from officials. The statement added that when water levels became 'high enough that water was flowing over the dike between the lake and the St Croix River, DNR staff opened the water control structure's valve to release excess water from Lake Alice'. 'Upon attempting to close the valve over the weekend, staff discovered the control structure closure mechanism had failed and was stuck open, which has caused the lake to drain,' the statement continued. The statement said staff had since been working to resolve the issue, but a 'timeline for restoring lake levels is not known yet'.
