Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-05-20
HOW HIGH IS THE NORMAL STAGE
0E WATER IN GREEN LAKE?
Green Lake Land Owners Refuse Accept Water Level As Pro
posed By The County Board Committee. Trouble Caused
by Reckless Action of Ditch Contractors

Practically all the property own
ers of land fronting on Green Lake
are preparing to fight the raising
OF the minimum water level of the
lake two feet above the present
level. Proceedings will be institut-
ed to enjoin the commissioners
from building dam at the outlet
of the height proposed. The people
backing this movement claim that
they are just as much, if not more,
interested in keeping the lake at its
best for a summer resort, and are
not oppose to a dam that will pre-
vent any lowering of the normal
height Of the water level of the
lake by reason of the Crow river
ditch, but they will not counter
ance raising the dam so as to raise
the minimum water level two feet
over the present stage. The engi-
neer employed by the county claims
that the water is now 2.55 feet be-
low the general normal water level,
SO there is the point of difference.
AS a matter of information to the
public we give below the letters
from W. R. Hoag, the engineer
employed by the county commits
sioners, in which he gives the re-
suits of his observations. and also
the protest of the land owners at
Green Lake.
Minneapolis, MINI. April II, 1908.
Mr.. Thomas Olson, Chairman Coun-
ty Commissioners.
Dear Sir:-If convenient to OBJ
tain, will you please send me the
township sets Of your county map
covering the area of water shed
thru Nest Lake into Green Lake.
In designing the controlling work
at the outlet l need the average dis
charge. My one measurement of
it shows As Gu. #. per second and
am assuming Gin the absence of
any better knowledge) that this is
20 Gu. it. more than the average.
With the aid Of these maps ask
may be able to get a better or more
reliable value for your run-of. !
am writing to Mr.. Larson at Green
Lake for information relative to the
use of water at the mill, which
will also be helpful.
My observation for average lake
level shows it to be 2.55 feet above
it's stage on the 9Th inst. and l pro-
pose to design a weir or dam and
set it at such height that it will
discharge the average run-of when
the water in the lake is at this
stage of 2.55 feet above what it
was at the time of our recent visit.
This weir will discharge 135 Gu
bic feet per second lover five times
the normally should the lake ever
rise to the flood stage shown by the
high water marks observed on the
two lakes and pointed out by Mr..
Larson on his lagoon inlet. And
water will cease to flow out of the
lake if it is allowed OBS of foot
below the normal stage.
My preliminary estimate runs
as follows: earthwork bank ii TOP
width with slopes 3 to on the lake
side and 2 to on the opposite side,
with an increase of top width OF
each 100 station next to the bridge
to 40 feet $500 Gu. yds. at Il
cents, $4,000; AZ Gu. yds. concrete
at $500, $294.00; incidentals, $500.
90; total. $654.O0.
This makes an earth bank e.
feet higher than the average stage
of water in the lake and 1.8 above
a possible flood stage. The bank
is ESQ feet long.
(give you the result of this pre-.
liminary estimate for you to in.
dictate if it lines up in a general way
with what your commission believes
to be acceptable to the county.
Of course, a simple plank dam
against the upstream ends of the
bridge abutments set to raise the
water about two feet above it's pres.
ent level would effect considerable
betterment over present conditions
and greatly reduce this item oil
concrete, but it might lead to 3
higher flood stage than the semi.
circular concrete weir l propose
and lead to a lower dry season
stage; but, worst of all, it would
be temporary and would require
more or less supervision to guarC
against a harmful overflow to lane
below should it be destroyed by ice
action or by hostile interests. The
concrete weir would, of course, be
as permanent as the bridge abut
ments of which it would become {
part.