Water: $2,500,000,000.00

[airmail]

It doesn't seem so 'round here, but the western part of ND, SD and eastern MT has been going through a really tough drought the last few years.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Right you are. I had a nice walleye spot on the big lake over some railroad structure a few years back. Now, those old railway beds are exposed. Kind of slaps you in the face to see something like that.

Getting back to the Devils Lake outlet, does anyone know which "pollutants" the big complaint is about? I don't know about Devils Lake, but there's some simply nasty stuff that is already in the Red. How can a natural drainage basin produce anything worse than what's already flowing up north?

[PCM]

Getting back to the Devils Lake outlet, does anyone know which "pollutants" the big complaint is about? 

There was a good article in the GF Herald a couple weeks ago in which some Canadian scientists said that the Manitoba government was grossly overstating the threat of Devils Lake water to Canada's environment.

One threat was from phosphorus-based fertilizers that might cause algae blooms in Lake Winnipeg. The scientists said the additional amount from Devils Lake was so small in comparison to what was already coming in that it wouldn't be noticeable. Gov. Hoeven outlined some of the other issues in this column recently published in the Herald.

I don't know about Devils Lake, but there's some simply nasty stuff that is already in the Red.  How can a natural drainage basin produce anything worse than what's already flowing up north?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Contrary to popular belief, I've been told by researchers who routinely monitor the Red River's water quality that it's actually quite clean. It has the reputation as a dirty river because it looks dirty. However, that appearance is its natural state.

[lawkota]

The lake goes through this dry up then flood out then dry up cycle all the time if you look at it geologically and not like we tend to (immediately).

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Not only that, but the current wet cycle is a lot longer than most people think. Devils Lake has been steadily rising since 1940.

What few want to discuss is how close Stump Lake (where Devils Lake is overflowing into now) is to overrunning its natural outlet (naturally geologically sealed now) which would effectively allow that lake to outflow overland and end up in Canada by natural means.

Close is a relative term.

The natural outlet (through the Tolna coulee) is at an elevation of 1459 feet. Stump Lake is at about 1428 now and rising - fast. It's up 2 feet in the last 30 days and about 4 feet since snow melt. It could equalize with Devils Lake late next year at 1448. Nevertheless, Stump would still have 11 feet to go to reach the natural outlet and that means Devils Lake would have to rise the same amount. That is a tremendous amount of water. More water, in fact, then has taken to raise the lake the 24 feet since 1993. When Devils Lake started rising dramatically, it was at an elevation of about 1424, it covered 48,000 acres and contained 650,000 acre-feet of water. Now, at 1448, Devils Lake covers 131,000 acres and contains 2,550,000 acre-feet of water. At an elevation of 1459, Devils Lake would cover 260,000 acres and contain 4,600,000 acre feet of water. Thats almost 2,000,000 more acre-feet of water, plus an additional 200,000 acre-feet to raise Stump to the same level.

Not saying it won't happen, but it helps to understand the magnitude of what needs to transpire.

[CoteauRinkRat]

The more we try to fix nature, the further we get behind. There will come a day when people wonder why we were in such a hurry to get rid of that water.

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And the many people who have lost their homes, farms, and farm land can explain it to them.

[The Sicatoka]

Close is a relative term.

I won't disagree with that at all: In terms of "close" we're as close to the Stump Lake overflow situation as we are to being able to walk from Bonzer's to Whitey's without using a boat or a bridge. Neither is a pleasant thought but either is a possibility.

[PCM]

And the many people who have lost their homes, farms, and farm land can explain it to them.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What am I supposed to explain to them? That the level of Devils Lake rises and falls and there's really nothing we can do about it? That every time we try a solution to fix a problem, it causes other problems? That if you choose to live next to a body of water, you should be prepared to take whatever nature dishes out?

I've already learned that lesson. Nobody had to explain it to me.

[The Sicatoka]

The natural outlet (through the Tolna coulee) is at an elevation of 1459 feet.

[ecbrevik]

I try not to worry too much about things that far into the future.  We are supposed to be hit by asteroids and California is going to break off into the ocean too.  With all the things that supposedly cause cancer these days, we have more things to worry about on a day to day basis, nevermind the fact that we eat too much to begin with.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As a geologist, I can assure you that "California breaking off into the ocean" is a myth.

[Smoggy]

As a geologist, I can assure you that "California breaking off into the ocean" is a myth.

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Damn.

[OldSchool]

Many of us in the Red River Valley complain about the wet cycle we've been in, but I'll take that over a dry cycle any day. Given the current population of the valley and the huge increase in demands on the water resources, a drought similar to that of the 1930s would be absolutely devastating to this region.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yep and probably to the whole country...Genius.

[PCM]

Yep and probably to the whole country...Genius.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Because the discussion was about water resources in the Red River Valley, I was refering to a regional drought which is far more likely, not a drought that affected the entire nation.

Hint: It helps if you read the thread to understand the context of a comment.