Maintenance Program
The District's Maintenance Program ensures that water channels and stormwater outlet pipes remain open for the Carnelian Creek Flowage and Silver Creek Flowage. The District also inspects and maintains dozens of past projects installed to improve water quality and reduce flooding. Visit our Maintenance Program page to learn more about the District's program.
The History of Our Maintenance Program
Early in its creation, the Carnelian-Marine Watershed District worked to address flooding issues in the Big Marine Lake sub-watershed which includes Big Carnelian Lake, Little Carnelian Lake and a series of connected wetland systems.
A period of high precipitation in the late 70’s and early 80’s increased water levels in this land-locked basin to unacceptable levels, which flooded lake-side houses and saturated private septic systems. The flooding problems in this drainage area were alleviated by the installation of a three-mile gravity pipe which outlets this large, landlocked sub-watershed.
The District's Maintenance Program now ensures that water channels and stormwater outlet pipes remain open, water obstructions are removed and projects to improve water quality and reduce flooding—such as rain gardens— are installed, inspected, and maintained.
Outlet Channel
Maintaining an unimpeded flow from Big Marine Lake through Little Carnelian Lake and the outlet pipe to the St. Croix River is a critical responsibility of the Watershed District. CMSCWD was formed to reduce the threat of flooding in Big Marine and Carnelian Lakes and the solution was the result of many years of study of the causes to these water fluctuations. Some of the reports can be found here.
How It Works
The range of water elevations that the District maintains is a result of negotiations with riparian property owners and the Department of Natural Resources to both protect property and protect wetlands within the watershed. The only variable in the system is an adjustable weir downstream of the fixed outlet and Turtle Lake. The current management plan for the weir has evolved over the years and was approved by the Board of Managers on April 12, 2017 after receiving considerable public input. The management plans are available for review here, from the current plan to the original management plan:
2017 Turtle Lake Management Plan (current)
Big Marine Lake Outlet Elevations
Big Marine Outlet Fixed Weir Overflow elevation is 940.8 feet
Pages 22-29 in Section IV of the Management Plan discusses the maintenance activities in further detail.
Date Location Water Surface Elevation
4/01/20 Big Marine Outlet 941.06
4/01/20 Mud Wetland 940.68
4/08/20 Big Marine Outlet 941.04
4/08/20 Mud Wetland 940.58
4/21/20 Big Marine Outlet 940.88
4/21/20 Mud Wetland 940.28
5/12/20 Big Marine Outlet 940.72
5/12/20 Mud Wetland 939.92
5/29/20 Big Marine Outlet 941.02
5/29/20 Mud Wetland 940.72
6/09/20 Big Marine Outlet 940.86
6/09/20 Mud Wetland 940.66
6/22/20 Big Marine Outlet 940.76
6/22/20 Mud Wetland 940.56
7/07/20 Big Marine Outlet 941.04
7/07/20 Mud Wetland 941.02
7/10/20 Big Marine Outlet 941.00
7/10/20 Mud Wetland 940.98
7/14/20 Big Marine Outlet 940.94
7/14/20 Mud Wetland 940.92
7/21/20 Big Marine Outlet 941.04
7/21/20 Mud Lake Wetland 941.02