Emotions took over for some home and business owners who Tuesday, relived flooding events that took place earlier this summer.
During a public meeting held by the International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board at Rainy River Community College, comments were heard, questions were answered and facts were given regarding water levels regulation as well as actions taken to manage the rising water levels in the lakes and rivers in the watershed.
The International Joint Commission formed the International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board to assist with binational coordination of water quality efforts for the entire boundary watershed and to coordinate the management of the water levels and flows on Rainy and Namakan lakes and the Rainy River.
Col. Daniel C. Koprowski, U.S. co-chair of the International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board, said he understood the more than 50 people in the audience lived through the situation and were all well aware of what happened.
“In one way or another, you, your families, your neighbors were directly affected by what happened,” he said. “I know I don’t need to tell you what happened...What we’re here to do is provide the science behind it and take your feedback on it.”
Board members, Koprowski said, saw a potential problem brewing as early as last November. As 2013 wrapped up, large amounts of snow began to blanket the Borderland region. Into March, the snow and cold kept coming, making for a high snow pack and a late thaw. Koprowski said both factors laid the groundwork for possible flooding conditions. The large quantity of water in the snow pack increased the risk of high inflows to Namakan Reservoir, Rainy Lake and their tributaries as the spring melt got underway.
“In March, we directed the companies that control the dams (at Rainy Lake and Namakan Reservoir) to target the bottom 0.5 percent of the rule curve,” he said. “In other words, what we tried to do was leave some room in the system to account for the big snow pack and late thaw. The hope was to avoid flooding.”
A rule curve is another term for the regulated lake level range as defined by the International Joint Commission. It was changed in 2000 and is up for review next year.
Inflows to these lakes and their tributaries were slightly below normal for the start of April, but rose quickly as the snow pack began to melt. In response, outflows from the dams at Namakan Reservoir and Rainy Lake were adjusted with the goal of maintaining the lake levels within the range of the respective rule curves.
But then, it began to rain. And rain. And rain.
Koprowski said officials kept a close eye on the rainfall and looked to the forecast on both sides of the border to see what May and June’s precipitation would be like. Surprisingly, he said, meteorologists predicted the month of June to be “dryer than normal.”
“June is normally the wettest month of the year,” he said. “But the normal is that 2-4 inches. What we saw this June, in some places, as much as a foot or more of rain.”
As the rain kept coming, all dam gates were open by June 6.
“The important part about the all-gates-open line is once all the gates are open, we lose our ability to adjust,” the colonel said. “That’s it. We don’t have (control) anymore. We were all gates open June 6 and the rain was just beginning.”
Similar curves
As the flooding situation worsened, board members received a lot of feedback that the rule curve in place in 1970 shouldn’t have been changed in 2000, Koprowski said.
“We’ve heard if we had the 1970 rule curve in effect, this wouldn’t have happened,” he said of the flood. “But that might not be the case.”
In the 14 years since the new rule curve took effect, seven of the top 20 wettest events, since officials began keeping track, took place. In contrast, the 1970 rule curve coincided with four of those events over a 29-year period.
“If you compare the two rule curves on both Rainy and Namakan lakes, they’re very close together,” Koprowski said. “There is little difference how one rule curve would have performed over another in this particular event.”
In addition, he said a rule curve is only a tool used to attempt to regulate water. While officials try to keep the water level in the middle of the curve, there are times they need to deviate from that, Koprowski said.
“If there’s extremely high water, we target the bottom end of the rule curve,” he said. “On March 7, we directed the companies that operate the dams to target the bottom of the rule curve.”
Not satisfied
Still, a few audience members were not satisfied with the information.
Allen Klemetsen said he has lived on the Littlefork River for 57 years. Since 2000, when the new rule curve took effect, he has had water in his back yard every year after the ice goes out.
“Well this year, you guys put it in my house,” he said of the 9 inches of water that invaded his residence in June. “I hope you guys are all happy.”
Others agreed with Klemetsen and asked board members what can be done to prevent flooding events like this in the future.
Paul Stegmeir, who has sat on several water level committees, said there are a lot of problems with the system, but in the end, there might not be a simple solution.
“The good Lord decides when it’s gonna rain,” he said. “The natural system cannot handle every situation. Let’s not make one person’s solution another person’s problem.”
Phil Hart, owner of Pine Tree Cove Resort in Kabetogama, saw his share of flooding this year. The dock harbor at his resort, which he has owned for 27 years, was almost completely destroyed and water crept in toward cabins he owns.
But for Hart, the 1970 rule curve brought low waters that can be just as bad for business.
“A few years before the new (2000) curve, we were high and dry,” he said. “Our docks were 7 or 8 feet out of the water. My question is, if Kabetogama is happy with their rule curve, is it possible when you adjust rule curves you can adjust Rainy without adjusting Kabetogama or do they have to change in sequence?”
Koprowski said the review will be comprehensive and that option, among many, will be considered.
Randy Pozniak, of the Border Lakes Association, said the group he represents would like to see adjustments made to the curve, especially in emergency situations.
“You showed the curves were virtually the same,” he said. “However, the 1970 curve compared to the 2000 curve for Kabetogama and Namakan has a significant difference. What was the top of the 1970 curve is now the bottom of the 2000 curve.”
Agreeing with Hart, Pozniak urged Koprowksi and other board members to consider adjustments to the Rainy Lake curve and leave others alone.
But one Rainy Lake resident said after this year, he’s ready to see the high water passed to “somebody else.”
“We had our year, let’s have somebody else have it now,” he said.
A woman from Kabetogama responded there were sandbagging efforts going on south of International Falls.
“We lost docks and businesses were under,” she said of the high water. “When you look at what the modules show and what’s going on, there’s more to this than just emotional involvement. We have to look at what the science is telling us, too...We’re all in this together.”
Koprowski stressed in this particular event, the rule curves would have performed just about identically and the tool cannot be relied on to solve every situation.
“Mother Nature’s ability to produce water will always overwhelm our ability to regulate,” he said. “We’ve been asked if this will happen again and unfortunately, probably, yes, as long as it keeps raining. So be prepared and plan ahead.”
