DEVILS LAKE (KFGO-AM) - Devils Lake flooding may be off the radar for most people but an official says the disaster is far from over. Jeff Frith of the Devils Lake Joint Water Board says thanks to a mini-drought and a state operated outlet system, the lake level is down slightly.
He says there are noticible differences around the shorelines compared to last fall. Parts Old Highway 281 that stretches from Churches Ferry to Minnewauken that had to be relocated is starting to "stick its nose out." However, Frith says there's still an "awful lot of water" and the region has a long way to go before things return to normal. He says "mother nature is controlling this thing." With normal precipitation, drawdown from two state operated pumps and evaporation, Frith hopes the lake can drop another 2 feet by fall freeze up.
Since 1993, Devils Lake has quadruped in size, rising 28 feet, swallowing up smaller lakes and farmland. Frith says 100,000 acres of farmland remains flooded, causing an estimated $200 million annual loss to the region's economy. More than billion dollars has been spent on flood protection, raising roads, and home buy-outs.