Officials, DNR At Odds Over Budget To Fill White Bear Lake
WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. (WCCO) -- After years of below-average water levels that closed beaches along White Bear Lake, the state has an estimate for how much it would cost to refill the lake.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says it could cost up to $100 million.
The idea is to create a four-mile pipeline that would pump water from the Mississippi River into White Bear Lake. A group of residents that has always hoped to get to this point in the discussion says the DNR's estimate is so high it makes the idea unlikely to pass in front of lawmakers.
Greg McNeely and Jim Markoe have spent years working as a team, even forming a non-profit, Friends of White Bear Lake, dedicated to convincing the state to help fund a refill.
For the last eight summers, Ramsey County beach has been closed to the public with the water levels down some four feet.
"It's not about homeowners or property taxes. It's a regional lake, the second largest regional lake in metro area, a lot of people use this lake," McNeely said.
"The lake is an economic driver for the whole northeast metro," Markoe said.
The DNR released a report about the cost of water augmentation on Friday that said it could cost up to $100 million to refill, plus $4 million per year to treat the water.
"Our numbers show it could be between $20-30 million which is half what the DNR is suggesting," Markoe said.
The DNR stands by its report, which cost $218,000 to prepare.
McNeely and Markoe say they're working with a private contractor to see if they can come up with a cheaper estimate they say gives more hope for the future of White Bear Lake.
"It's got heart and soul," McNeely said. "We are trying to make a difference out here so we don't lose it."
The group, Friends of White Bear Lake, hopes to have an estimate for a refill to present to lawmakers by March 1. Scientific studies are still under way to try to figure out why the water levels have dropped.
