Devils Lake - what lies ahead?

[NDSportsman]

Where would an inlet bring water from?

 

[3Roosters]

At least there were a few land owners who have made lemonade out of lemons by developing their land into seasonal campsites.

 

[camoman]

Devils Lake is just that, a LAKE. The outlets were created and have altered that already. Lakes dry up and then fill back up. Why do we feel the need to do things to adjust what mother nature decides. It's never been a reservoir and it never should be. The wet-dry cycle is important to maintaining a healthy water body anyway.

 

[walleyeman_1875]

Nature runs its way, Man can only bitch about it but cannot change it,

Exactly this. Water cometh....water goeth...

 

[8andcounting]

Nature runs its way, Man can only bitch about it but cannot change it,

Nature is not running the pumps

 

[ndlongshot]

An inlet? Yeah, its called Channel A.

 

[Migrator Man]

Devils Lake was formed from wet cycles and draining of wetlands into canals that flowed into the main body that of the lake. I enjoy fishing Devils as much as the next guy but there were a ton of downstream land owners that got screwed in this deal.There has been a ton of land lost to the lake with no compensation and I don't see that very fair to those farmers. If we want the lake to stay near record levels and benefit the walleye fishing we must not forget the people who have lost their way of living. We spent millions on these pumps so we might as well use them.

 

[deleted member]

without government involvement, we wouldn't have channel A or the other control structures and ditches up north. also, without government involvement, this lake likely would have flowed out naturally into the sheyenne and it would have been a potential disaster. also, without government funded pumps, it would probably be in the mid 50s or higher today if it hadn't overflowed. so, we have already "altered the lake" and effed with mother nature. i am torn on this. but, a big part of me says there is nothing wrong with turning off the pumps at 46 or 48 IF that is what the "government" decides is best.

 

[Walleye202]

The pumps only do so much, if we roll into a 10-15 drier biased weather cycle, The lake would easily go down 10-15 feet. In a perfect world it would be great to stabilize at an agreed upon elevation but just not possible. Only possible solution was Garrison Diversion but that couldn't pass back then and for sure can't pass today. Very unique situation