Devils Lake and Stump Lake
The flooding of Devils Lake and nearby Stump Lake in North Dakota have caused the lakes to become the same level for the first time in nearly two centuries. Both lakes have now reached 1,447.15 feet above sea level.
The lakes have been expanding since a wet cycle began in the early 1990s. If that cycle ends, evaporation likely will separate the two bodies of water again.
Devils Lake has risen about 25 feet since 1993, tripling in size. Starting in 1999, water from the lake began flowing toward Stump Lake to the east. Two years later, the flow became measurable. It has increased every year since, until the two lakes became one.
At 1,447.15 feet, Stump Lake's surface area is 14,950 acres, while Devils Lake's is 124,800 acres. The combined surface area is 139,750 acres.
A state-built $28 million outlet drains Devils Lake water into the Sheyenne River, though opponents say the flood relief it provides does not justify the cost. If the wet cycle continues, the elevation of Devils Lake and Stump Bay will rise together. If it reaches about 1,459 feet above sea level, water from the combined lake will start flowing into the Sheyenne River naturally.
September 21, 2007 7:04 AM | Category: Flood