KABETOGAMA — Borderland residents are watching, waiting and praying for the rain to stop as they continue to watch lake levels rise.
The Koochiching County Sheriff’s Office has begun checking its stock of sandbags. Resort owners have watched their docks become submerged in Kabetogama Lake as the water creeps closer to buildings. And meteorologists predict more days of rain to come.
At Sandy Point Lodge and Resort on Kabetogama, owner Jennifer Gelo said they haven’t reached the point of panic yet. But they are waiting to see how high the water goes and have 120 sandbags ready to be filled if they’re needed, she said, noting that Kabetogama Township has sand available to residents if they need it in the coming weeks.
Driftwood Lodge Resort property manager Kent Keeler said he is concerned about the level of Kabetogama Lake as he pointed out the water flowing into the resort’s boathouse.
Sheriff Brian Youso said he hopes flooding doesn’t take place, but he is monitoring lake levels and the forecast while building up the office’s supply of sandbags. The office has begun to receive requests for sandbags, but Youso said the office has not hit the panic button yet.
The Sheriff’s Office tries to keep between 20,000 and 30,000 sandbags on hand just in case, Youso said. The office has a shortage of sandbags now after it donated its stock of sandbags to help two counties with floods, Youso said. That means, his office may be limited in how many bags they give out to residents. But he said he is working to find more sandbags. And, he noted, if they are needed immediately, sandbags can be purchased through private companies by residents.
Youso also reminds area residents that the office’s sandbags are for protecting property and not for securing docks.
While the Gelo’s neighbors have used sandbags to secure docks, the Gelo’s are saving their sandbags for use around their septic system. With the close proximity of Voyageurs National Park, Gelo said their concern is to keep the water pristine. Instead of sandbags, they have placed small boats filled with water on top of their dock to keep it from floating away.
The Kabetogama Lake level went down some Wednesday, but the forecast for the next five days involves water, according to Gelo.
According to Keeler, Kabetogama Lake has maintained same level for the last few days, but it may go higher as it continues to rain. Keeler estimates that the lake is about three and a half feet higher than normal.
“It could be ugly,” Keeler said.
The Driftwood is using sandbags and boats filled with water to secure its dock.
“Sandbag, sandbag, sandbag,” Keeler said.
Docks can be in danger of being dislodged with high water and the potential for waves.
Replacing a dock at drift would could cost about $80,000, Keeler estimated.
But this springs water levels are the highest seen on Lake Kabetogama. It’s been worse in the past.
The first two years after the rule curve was adjusted, Gelo said they witnessed high volumes of water, causing water to flood up to the cabins along the shoreline.
Keeler said 1996 was the worst it’s been at the Driftwood, when everything was underwater and boats were being tied off on birch trees near the cabins instead of to the docks.
But the flooding, a positive aspect has emerged — the fishing on Kabetogama has been great, according to resort owners.
Getting through the submerged docks to the boats has been an inconvenience, but guests at Sandy Point are glad to be at the resort, Gelo said.
Keeler estimated its been one of the best springs for fishing. Although guests have to wade through the water to get to the boats tied to the submerged docks, they are coming in from fishing happy, he said. Guests are bringing in daily limits of fish, he said.
In May, precipitation in Borderland was more than one inch above normal, with 3.62 inches of precipitation, according to Mike Bettwy, meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The spring was wetter and cooler than normal also.
This storm system should continue through next week, Bettwy said, with the weather calming down after next week. Borderland residents should expect near normal temperatures and precipitation for the summer, he said.
Two factors are contributing to the high lake levels: The area received a higher than normal amount of snow this winter and a higher than normal amount of precipitation, Bettwy said.
The possible flooding comes a year after Borderland was facing an extreme drought situation. A shift in the weather pattern caused the drastic difference, Bettwy said. A high pressure system sat over the upper United States, causing the storms to go north or south of northern Minnesota last year, according to Bettwy. This year, the high pressure system is gone, enabling the storms to come into the region, he said.