Panel looks at pipe to decrease lake level

Talk about it

The Lake Mitchell Advisory Committee is considering installing a pipe in the lake to lower its level, reduce flooding in the area and deal with other potential problems.

The committee, which met Tuesday afternoon at the Recreation Center Conference Room, heard a presentation from committee member Bob Sebert on a proposal to install a 24-inchdiameter drawdown pipe on the north side of the spillway. The pipe would dump into Firesteel Creek.

Committee chairman Greg McCurry said the pipe might ease some problems linked to high water.

“There’s a couple concerns. One is flooding and erosion control in the lake,” McCurry said. “The second concern is we’ve heard from landowners along Firesteel Creek below the lake who have problems with erosion.”

Sebert, the son of Mayor Lou Sebert, shared an e-mail he had received from Doug Wessel, of Banner Associates, regarding construction costs of the pipeline. The costs were based in part on a plan devised in April 1998 to construct a drawdown pipe.

The cost was in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The proposal did not include engineering costs.

Public Works Director Tim McGannon led a discussion on the cost and feasibility of such a project. In January, McGannon said installing such a pipe would be extremely costly and would only move ahead if the City Council deemed it necessary.

He told the committee he will do some research on the feasibility of a drawdown pipe, any needed permits and estimated costs and report back.

McCurry said cost estimates and final plans are still sketchy.

There are some basic questions that need to be answered before the next step is taken, he said.

“What’s the volume of what is coming into the lake just on a normal day, not after a rain event?” McCurry said. “And what size of pipe would deal with that?”

It has become apparent that when heavy rains fall in the region, it takes between 24 and 48 hours before the water arrives at Lake Mitchell, he said.

Could the lake level be lowered in advance of the water arriving at Lake Mitchell, he wondered, reducing the risk of flooding and erosion problems?

And, the committee wants to investigate lowering the lake level in the fall, to prevent damage caused by ice or after the melt.

On other issues:

• McCurry said he has been making presentations to service groups about the Adopt an Access Program and is receiving positive feedback. McCurry said a couple of the access lots have been adopted and several more groups have expressed interest in hearing a presentation.

“It’s been received well,” he said. “People like the idea of getting involved and doing something about this property out at the lake.”

• McCurry showed a map of proposed buoy placements at the east and west ends of the lake, noting he would like to submit the maps to the state Game, Fish and Parks Department for approval. The committee discussed moving two of the buoys at the west end of the lake to be more in line with the channel markers located just north of the west end bridge and move the buoy at the east end of the lake located just west of the campground.

McCurry will make the proposed changes and then present the maps to the City Council for approval prior to submitting them to GF&P.

• Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department Director Dusty Rodiek updated the committee on the Sportsman’s Boat Ramp meeting held at the end of January.

The current boat ramp has no restroom facilities and Rodiek is mulling abandoning the ramp and moving it nearer to the Sportsman’s Club, allowing people who use the ramp to have access to facilities there.

The current ramp area would be allowed to return to wild grasses.

“I really applaud him for the vision to think about that and propose that,” McCurry said.

• Committee member Dave Allen informed the committee he had spoken with Mike Blaalid of Pheasants Forever in regard to the application of the 404 permit and timeline of anticipated approval.

According to the United States Geological Survey, Section 404 of the federal Clean Water Act requires a permit from anyone, including a government agency, political subdivision, landowner or developer who is conducting activities that discharge dredge or fill material into the waters of the United States.

The committee is considering placing fish habitat in the lake and would need a 404 permit to do that, committee members have been told by GF&P officials.

• The committee will meet again at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, at the Mitchell Recreation Center Conference Room.

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