County to ‘draw down’ a ‘growing’ East Twin Lake
The 350-acre East Twin Lake is growing. Twin Lakes Park near Florence in Shelburne Township is a county park developed by the Lyon County Board and East Twin Lake is part of the complex. Area landowners reported the lake levels were fairly consistent through the 1980s.
But the lake started growing in earnest after the extremely wet summer of 1991. “There is quite a history of that lake coming up over a long period of time,” said John Biren, Planning and Zoning Director.
The increase in the lake elevation has grown to levels that cause damage to adjacent agricultural lands, increases erosion of higher unprotected slopes and threaten area homes. As a result, the Lyon County Board is dealing with the “drawdown” of the lake.
Lyon County had already began investigating possible methods of diverting flows toward the Redwood River to the east. Bolton and Menk, Inc. of Sleepy Eye was hired to investigate potential diversion routes and associated costs. A subsequent meeting reached a consensus to draw down the lake to a level near the lake level at the time the lake access was originally constructed.
Bolton and Menk recommended a permanent out fall that includes a pipe connecting the lake to an outlet manhole with a stopper.
“This structure would then be connected to an out fall tile system that flows to a lower outlet ditch, lake, wetland or receiving stream.”
This design would allow the Department of Natural Resources or the county to manipulate the outflow rate, outlaw timing and lake levels.
The DNR wanted to make sure the release of the water will not affect the wildlife in the area. “They feel it will be no concern,” said Biren.
Projected cost of the project is $765,455. A report from Bolton and Menk indicated the “drawdown” can be accomplished without any significant negative impacts. The assumption is there is no groundwater interconnection between East Twin and other area lakes.
If it turns out there is a connection, the drawdown strategy and extent of the drawdown may be limited by the acceptable level in the surrounding lakes. Immediate fix Biren, concerned about immediate damage to landowners, said something needs to be done as soon as possible.
He suggested a “sub-surface drain”.
“I asked the contractors to help provide an outlet pipe,” he said.
He indicated an outlet pipe for East Twin Lake was sent out for bids and Barker Excavating of Hanley Falls submitted the low bid of $3,437.50. Commissioner Rick Anderson made the motion to spend up to $10,000 for the “immediate fix” for the drawdown of the lake.
IN OTHER action the board:
•Approved Adam Illies as a shift sergeant for the county’s correctional facility. He replaces Nick Lasnetski, who retire. Base pay will be $23.27 per hour. He has been employed with the county as a correctional officer since 2018.
•Authorized M&K Bridge Construction of Walnut Grove to repair a timber abutment cap on the Three Mile Creek Bridge northeast of Ghent on County Road 65. The cost for the repair is $28,825. “If the bridge abutment cap is not replaced and continues to decay further into the driving lanes, the timber slab deck will break and result in the replacement of the entire bridge,” said County Engineer Aaron VanMoer. He estimated the work will take up to three to four weeks and will begin soon.
“Although the cost is high, I suggest moving forward with this repair since the rest of the bridge has an estimated 20-plus years of life.” The estimated cost of the bridge replacement is $350,000 and there is no bridge bonding funds available for this kind of project. “Since this is a county road, this repair does not qualify for State Aid dollars.”
•Heard Commissioner Paul Graupmann report the Lyon County Fair is ready to go for this year and he said a carnival vendor with some very nice rides as been contracted for the event. The Fair Board had to search for a new vendor when the past vendor could not meet the dates of the fair.