White Bear Lake's water level is near its record low, but history t...

Memorial Beach at White Bear Lake has grown by about one hundred yards in depth due to very low water levels on the popular Ramsey County lake.

[jdm]

Thank you for this much needed article pointing out that there is a cycle to such things. We often have short memories, a poor understanding of history, or are too young to realize it. There are cycles to a lot of things if we pay attention.

[Who determines normal]

Look at the chart. Normal is about a foot high. Who determines what the normal height is and don't you think that changes over 85 years. I do

[fruit bat alert]

Interesting wrote:

I would be curious to know why it is that WBL has such problems but other large area lakes don't seem to? If indeed WBL is an abomination then there must be more to it than just evaporation.

Agreed. We live on a smaller metro lake in which the water level has risen dramatically with all the recent rainfall. Strange that WBL continues to go down but others fluctuate according to rainfall amounts.

[BP CEO]

Does the planet stay constant or does it change

[FrankL]

Interesting wrote:

I would be curious to know why it is that WBL has such problems but other large area lakes don't seem to? If indeed WBL is an abomination then there must be more to it than just evaporation.

The reason for the fluctuations is that WBL has a very small watershed, which depends solely on local runoff.

[Jeff]

Enough already with all the lake level articles! We get it. The lake is low. I don't need to read about millionaires whining about their docks every other week.

[Cory in St Paul]

There is something else amiss here. Other lakes in the state are rising due to the latest rains and wet spring. Yet, WBL is still dropping. It doesn't make sense. SOmething else is happening.

[MN Observer]

Cory in St Paul wrote:

There is something else amiss here. Other lakes in the state are rising due to the latest rains and wet spring. Yet, WBL is still dropping. It doesn't make sense. SOmething else is happening.

No it isn't. The answer to your question is in the post a few slots above. WBL has an extremely small watershed for a lake of its size. There have been several years of below average rainfall and the low lake level is the result. You cannont compare lakes and just assume they are the same.

[Magic]

None of you posters know squat about WBL!

Having lived in the area and used WBL for 50 years back in the day when the lake was low there were at least 2 pumps that filled the lake. The beach had a pump right next to it and the water was crystal clear AND very cold to swim in. There was another pump near the Manitou Island bridge and seems to me there was another pump along the SE shore near Wilernie.

Environmentalists must have stopped the pumping, thanks again.

[MN Observer]

Magic wrote:

None of you posters know squat about WBL!
Having lived in the area and used WBL for 50 years back in the day when the lake was low there were at least 2 pumps that filled the lake. The beach had a pump right next to it and the water was crystal clear AND very cold to swim in. There was another pump near the Manitou Island bridge and seems to me there was another pump along the SE shore near Wilernie.
Environmentalists must have stopped the pumping, thanks again.

You've made a blanket statement that isn't completely true.

If you read the story you would know that pumping was sporadic and when it was done, it didn't do all that much. Plus, it costs too much for the small benefit.

The pumps have not operated for more than 30 years. The lake level fluctuated with the pumps operating and have fluctuated with the pumps not operating.

WBL's low water level isn't because of a couple pumps not operating, it's because of a lack of rain and a small watershed.

[Hank from St Paul]

How can you possibly come up with a level that could be considered normal for this lake?
Normal what? when?

[Hank from St Paul]

Think Green wrote:

You people have No idea what really going on with white bear lake, I will tell you what the DNR does Not want you to know!
I lived on the lake for 58 years and for the 50 of them years if the lake was getting low, the DNR would let people Dump Garbage and old cars in to the lake to fill up the bottom untell the water hit our docks.
So please, If you have a old car or garbage just drop it in and you will see the lake come back!

Indeed, the first three cars I owned as a teenager are in that lake.

[Sid the Kid]

Cory in St Paul wrote:

There is something else amiss here. Other lakes in the state are rising due to the latest rains and wet spring. Yet, WBL is still dropping. It doesn't make sense. SOmething else is happening.

It's Vegas Baby. They are sucking the water out of WBL and pumping down to sin city for their fountains and golf courses, that's what is happening.

[XD40 Fan]

Hank from St Paul wrote:

<quoted text>
Indeed, the first three cars I owned as a teenager are in that lake.

Thanks Hank! With the help of environmental stewards like you, recovery divers like me get to hone our craft by bringing up all the crap you people dropped in the lake. Nicely done. A Hole.

[GreatDay]

It will be almost impossible to fill our beloved lake back up to normal levels. The council members will soon vote on the name change.
The new name will be: White Bear Valley.

[jack]

this has to be one of the most BORING stories I have ever read

[Tim]

It's "Katy bar the door" not "Katie bar the door".

[anonymous]

How much rain does one lake need...seems that's all it's been doing lately. LOL

[Coondeleza Rice]

I thought I saw some somali people with jugs at the beach the other night. I think they are hording it, that's why it is staying so low

[boater]

FrankL wrote:

<quoted text>
The reason for the fluctuations is that WBL has a very small watershed, which depends solely on local runoff.

I find it interesting that the article does not go into the severe restrictions in the area for runoff. The lake relies on runoff for it's water but the area has created quite a few restritions to limit the runoff. The lake has gone through fluctuations in the past, but not when these restritions were in place.