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LAKE ELMO COUNCIL MINUTES - 9/20/83 Page 3 • Ken Sovereign, Olson Lake Trail North - Oppose proposal only because it's short-term solution and concur with West Lakeland that there's no use in changing water levels on any lakes until the problem is solved. We're being assessed for diesel pump which will probably run all next year and putting money down the drain. People on Olson Lake would be happy to get water out of Lakeland and Lake Jane, but shouldn't be inconvenienced further with short-term solution. Further, it can't be administered. Now we're going to move water levels up and down at discretion of VBWD which has been irresponsible for. 15 years to solve problem. Pumping has not worked out, now there's more experimentation at our expense. Why not lower the culvert in Long Lake, lower the drain in North St. Paul; the Watershed District has the .legal authority to do this. ♦ Allen Dornfeld - 800 acre-feet of water has been pumped this year with 2 pumps; we're not pumping additional water but pumping water which comes over weir. Regarding cost of outlet, we estimate it to be $2,000 to be financed by administrative fund and not by any assessments, etc. Also, we have no authority to rule over large projects unless it's funded 50% by grants or state/federal aid. o Eder - was it attempted at one time to do this by siphoning? (Dornfeld - tried, but didn't work.) • Morgan - What are present levels of lakes? (Dornfeld - 9/l/83 report shows Lake Olson 929.48, Lake Jane 922.48, City Park Pond 905.6.) (Resident - Park pond is now 904.0 and Jane is 922.2.) s Dornfeld - hole in weir is 2' below elevation; 929.5 is approximate elevation of overflow. Council comments: ® Eder - if we do give permission, a time limit should be put on project thru 1984 so it'll be evaluated to make sure something is happening on long-term solution. r Morgan - when was pump turned off and what was Park pond elevation? (Dornfeld - 8/18; Park Pond was at elevation 910.2) e Eder - only about half of storage will come out and some will be gained in spring; may not fluctuate, especially with time limit, to degree people on Olsen and DeMontreville are concerned with. • Resident - key factor in making this work is permit from DNR to pump before the weir overflows; how's that progressing? (Dornfeld - they have not issued one yet and have asked for information; should be forthcoming soon.) ♦ Ken Sovereign - fluctuation is a tremendous inconvenience and we're going to oppose it at DNR level, too. There's no reason why accepted level should be changed until there's a long-term program. VBWD has authority to pump Lake Jane to 921 and why don't they do that, leave it there until it comes up again to where they can pump. There's no reason why people on Lake Olson should take that kind of fluctuation when they've already taken 3' from original culvert level. People downstream are going to get water someday anyway, so let's get with doing something permanently.