Important Information About Our Lakes Current Status of the Reservoir Operating Plan Project: from the Corps website. The integrated Draft Report and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was released for public review on August 26, 2008; the public review period ended on November 3, 2008. The integrated Final Report and EIS was drafted in fiscal year 2009 and released for public review in late September 2009. The public review period will end on November 6, 2009. Activities in fiscal year 2010 include addressing substantive public comments, drafting and releasing the Record of Decision, and implementing recommendations in the Record of Decision. Because of public concerns raised during the comment period for the Draft Report and EIS, only minor revisions to reservoir operating plans were proposed in the Final Report and EIS. In other words, the actions of property and business owners who commented did have an impact! Thanks to everyone who made their voices heard! October 2008 The Corps of Engineers has released a new proposal for managing the lake level on the Whitefish Chain reservoir. This proposal has the potential to seriously impact the recreational use of our lakes. As an organization dedicated to promoting boating and water safety on the chain, it is important that you are aware of, and can properly respond to, this proposal. A summary of the plan, and suggestions for your action are included below. Sincerely, J. Robert Nelson Commodore What is this all about? The US Army Corps of Engineers has undertaken a study ROPE (Reservoir Operating Plan Evaluation) for the Mississippi River Headwaters. This issue is not limited to the Whitefish Chain, the proposed plan is for operation of the Cass, Winni, Leech, Pokegama, Sandy Lake reservoirs as well as Gull Lake. “The primary purpose of the ROPE study is to evaluate alternative plans for these reservoirs and to improve the operation of the system to balance benefits in consideration of tribal trust, flood control, environmental, water quality, water supply, recreation, navigation, hydropower, and other public interests.” The Corps has released their Draft proposal and is taking public comments until November 3. What does it all mean? At its heart the plan calls for maintaining the winter level, spring and early summer level of the reservoir at the same target we have known for several decades. The proposal is to begin the fall draw down on July 15, fully two months earlier the current operating plan. This will result in lower water levels during the second half of the summer and fall boating seasons. The purported, but unspecified, benefit of the plan is “to benefit the aquatic plants and animals on the Whitefish Chain”. The plan would require the minimum outflow from the Cross Lake Dam to be increased from 30 csf (cubic feet per second) to 50 csf. This will have the effect of more quickly lowering the pool elevation, and during dry periods it will limit the Corps ability to manage the level of our lakes. As presented, the plan would not have a huge effect, during “normal” years. But during dry years, such as this one, the early drawdown, coupled increased outflow will lead to significantly lower water levels during the late summer and fall. The Corps own conclusion is “that navigation between some lakes on the chain becomes difficult at an elevation of 1229.22. The target elevation of the proposed plan would fall below this level after the first week of August”. It does not seem to me that any plan that will intentionally put the level of the Chain at a point that will make navigation difficult for the months of August, September and October as an acceptable alternative. To Learn more: You can visit the Corps of Engineers website at www.mvp.usace.army.mil/rope to see the full study. What we did as an organization: 1. We sent out communication via email to all the names and email addresses we have of interested people, explaining the situation, directing them to this page and asking them to forward the communication to other interested parties. 2. We put together these pages of information and analysis. 3. We sent an official response to the Corps from the Yacht Club. The text of the official response is here. 4. We have provided information to help you respond to the Corps and express your thoughts. Many of our members sent communications to the Corps.