The City of Longville has formally asked the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to take prompt, temporary steps to stop water from leaving Girl Lake through low spots in the recently built rock arch rapids at the Girl Lake outlet / Boy River.
In a September 22 letter to DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen, Mayor Floyd “Jocko” Kline said a Phase I field survey completed as part of the city’s independent engineering review found that water is flowing through openings well below the intended control elevation.
The survey placed the main center crest rock at about 1322.54 feet NAVD88 — close to the design target. Immediately next to and between those crest rocks, however, surveyors recorded elevations of approximately 1321.63, 1321.67, 1321.99, and 1322.03 feet. Water is currently passing through those lower paths. The letter states those openings sit roughly 10 to 11 inches below the nominal crest and below the former low-water runout elevation.
As a result, the center crest is not acting as the effective low-water control. At lake levels where the old outlet would have slowed or stopped discharging, water continues to leave through the new structure. The city warned that water lost now cannot be recovered under present low-water conditions and that further drawdown of Girl Lake and the connected system is avoidable.
The city is not asking DNR to set a new official lake level or to lock in a permanent redesign. It wants reversible, interim measures — such as sandbags, temporary barriers, or covering specific openings — while Phase II of the independent engineering review continues. That next phase will examine the structure, historical and design data, hydrology and hydraulics, and options for a lasting solution.
The letter cites the commissioner’s statutory authority over waters of the state, lake levels, and control structures (Minn. Stat. §§ 103G.255, 103G.515, and 103G.251). It asks DNR to review the survey and photos, inspect the site with the city’s engineer, put temporary controls in place, and coordinate while the full review proceeds.
The city requested a response by Friday, September 25, including plans for a site inspection and proposed interim steps.
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