White Bear Lake agreement would pump Mississippi water to 13 suburbs

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Ken Berg of Stillwater brings in his boat after a day of fishing on White Bear Lake at Matoska Park in White Bear Lake on Oct. 15, 2014. (Special to the Pioneer Press: Craig Lassig)

A plan to pump Mississippi River water to 13 northern Twin Cities suburbs is at the heart of an agreement announced Monday that pauses a legal feud between the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and two White Bear Lake groups over falling lake levels.

The White Bear Lake Restoration Association and the White Bear Lake Homeowners Association sued the DNR in 2012, alleging the agency allowed cities around the lake to pump too much water from the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer, likely causing the lake to recede.

The lakeshore homeowners hope the agreement will help restore their property values and the lake's reputation for boating, fishing and swimming.

The tentative settlement, which awaits a Ramsey County district judge's approval, is complicated, and its provisions might stretch out for years. Even then, the measures might not lead to the results that plaintiffs hope for.

The causes of the record-low lake level haven't been proved, according to the DNR. And the costs of the settlement proposals are high -- up to $230 million or more -- and would require an appropriation from the Legislature.

But Assistant DNR Commissioner Barb Naramore said the settlement "will contribute meaningfully to advancing long-term water sustainability in the north- and east-metro area."

"Today represents a new chapter for the lake and for our ongoing efforts to restore and preserve the lake for generations of Minnesotans," said Greg McNeely, a homeowner and lake association member.

Under the agreement:

-- The DNR, White Bear Lake and White Bear Township would support a plan to develop a surface water supply for cities around the lake. It would be based on a Metropolitan Council idea to move 13 communities from using groundwater to surface water from the Mississippi River.

During the first phase, North St. Paul, Shoreview, Vadnais Heights, Mahtomedi, White Bear Lake and White Bear Township would receive surface water at a cost of $155 million to $230 million.

The DNR would support legislation to fund feasibility and design considerations by August 2016, with the target for full construction funding in 2017.

During a second phase, the seven other communities -- Centerville, Hugo, Lino Lakes, Circle Pines, Columbus, Lexington and Forest Lake -- would move to using surface water. No schedule was set.

-- The DNR would determine and set a "protective elevation" for White Bear Lake by Nov. 1, 2016. The number would not be required until the first phase of the water-supply project is complete. Then it could be used to regulate new groundwater permits.

Even so, if the DNR said the elevation requirement jeopardized the public water supply, an exemption could be given.

-- The DNR, the homeowners association and the restoration association would work to persuade people to reduce water use. The goal is a 17 percent reduction.

-- Any litigation between the parties would stop for up to three years.

But the DNR said it did not agree that the primary cause of the lake's low water level is groundwater pumping.

"The state's independent expert, a nationally recognized hydrogeologist, has concluded that the cause of the lake's decline in recent years is likely climate-related," the department said, adding that lake levels naturally vary over time.

"The DNR does believe that groundwater resources in the north and east metro region may be oversubscribed in the future. Thus, it makes sense to act now to move communities to a more sustainable water supply system that can better accommodate future growth"

http://www.twincities.com/localnews/...dnr-over-water


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