Photos by Steve Browne / Times-Record
Devils Lake City Engineer Mike Grafsgaard, right, points to the Tolna Coulee on Tuesday while Valley City Mayor Mary Lee Nielson looks on. Valley City officials toured the coulee Tuesday. Below: The city of Devils Lake has dredged a foot from the Tolna Coulee and wants to dredge another 5 feet.

By Steve Browne

DEVILS LAKE — Tuesday was the first in a series of meetings between Valley City and Devils Lake officials to address concerns about rising Devils Lake waters and potential effects on the Sheyenne River.
The purpose of the meetings is to bring everyone together to create a master plan for the river, said Devils Lake City Engineer Mike Grafsgaard.
Devils Lake Mayor Fred Bott said, “We’re in a preliminary stage; we feel now is the time to invite our neighbors to the south to actually see the work we’ve done and to visualize work that potentially could be done. It’s time to open up the dialogue with those who will be directly impacted.”
The city of Devils Lake is dredging 1 foot of sediment from the Tolna Coulee, a natural channel between Stump Lake and the Sheyenne River. The city wants to lower the level at which Stump Lake water begins to flow through to the Sheyenne River.
Devils Lake officials are seeking permission from the North Dakota State Water Commission to dredge an additional 5 feet from the coulee to create a controlled release if the lake rises further. This will hopefully preventing a sudden breakout of the lake. Stump Lake is connected to Devils Lake through the Jerusalem Coulee.
Lake water discharged into the Sheyenne River will raise the level of naturally occurring sulfates in the river, according to the North Dakota State Health Department. Sulfates have a laxative effect on humans drinking the water and affect aquatic life in the river.
Valley City is the only community on the Sheyenne River that uses the river as a drinking water source. Valley City officials, residents and health professionals have expressed concerns about the potential rise in sulfate levels.

For full story, see the 11/11/2009 edition of the Valley City Times-Record.