ROPE  Study

 

                   STAR ISLAND PROTECTIVE LEAGUE

                                                              JOHN L. MURRAY, President

                                                                    E-Mail: JLM1952@Hotmail.com

 

 

     Winter                                                                                                                                    Summer                                            

323 East Fair Harbor Lane                                                                                                                 30464 Star Island SE 

Houston, TX 77079-2510                                                                                                                  Cass Lake, MN 56633

(281)589-1471                                                                                                                                                        (218)335-6543      

 

 

                                                                                                                                               August 25, 2006

 

Mr. Steve Clark, Corps of Engineers ROPE project manager

Ms. Chantel Cook, Chippewa National Forest

 

We would like to thank you and your associates for the Monday, Aug 21 meeting in Cass Lake. Your report on the status of the ROPE study and asking for public comments on the project to date was very informative.  It is indeed refreshing to find that input from the general public is a part of the process in developing plans such as ROPE.

 

The purpose of this letter is to call to your attention the potential problems for our 80 cabin owners on Star Island by the “draft proposed operating plans” as presented at the meeting. 

 

The only way for us to get to our cabins on Star Island is by boat. Most cabin owners have small (16-18 foot) boats, and travel to the Island from Sail Star Marina, the only marina on Cass Lake. Distances to the marina range from about 2 miles to more than 5 miles, depending on the shore of the Island.  Smaller boats requiring less water will not be safe. 

 

The current water level in Cass Lake (1300.85 feet) is so low that many Islanders are having problems getting to their docks, using their boat lifts and generally in trouble as a result of the low water.  These problems vary, depending on which shore of the Island, but are especially serious on the East Shore.

 

 We recognize, of course, that the current drought situation is rather unusual. However, as described in your “Proposed Draft Operating Plans, to lower in early August the target lake level by 0.4 foot-about 5 inches  (from the current target of 1301.4 feet to 1301.0 feet ) with a “proposed lower range”  of 1300.6 as shown on your plot “ Cass Operating Hydrograph” would make our problems even worse

 

There clearly are conflicting desires as regards water levels with the various public interests which exit. However, we want to be sure that you recognize our problems and take them in to account as appropriate. 

 

John L Murray, President, Star Island Protective League

 

 

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Report on ROPE Information Meeting

 

This is my summary of  the meeting on Monday Aug 21 about which I told you a couple of weeks ago. This was a meeting held by the Corps of Engineers and Forest Service to request public comments and input concerning their study and plans for the future management of  water levels in the upper Mississippi chain, including Cass, Leach, Winnie, etc. Four other similar meetings were schedule this week in other locations.

There were about 40 at the meeting, with maybe 1/3 of them Forest Service and Corps people. There were only 2 Star Island cabins represented at the meeting, which is rather too bad since many Islanders have strong feelings on the subject.

The formal part of the meeting was a slide presentation which described several possible approaches, with emphasis on different aspect of the situation and concerns of different groups. These were listed on one slide as the following: Navigation, Tribal Interests, Flood damage reduction, Recreation, Water quality and water supply and Fish and wildlife. The presentation mentioned some of the computer models used to analyze these interests. The information presented was in detail and described the competing and sometime conflicting interests of the diverse groups affected by water level variations. Several “draft operating plan alternatives” were described, each one tailored to address the needs of one or more of the competing interests. These in included a “draft proposed plan” that they feel is a reasonable balance of the many conflicting interests.

As I understood their remarks and handout papers, the “draft proposed plan” would result in target levels for Cass Lake at or near the current (and rather low) levels for the late summer and fall months. (Target of 1301.0 feet vs current 3100.85 feet).The “proposed lower range” would be even lower at 1300.6 feet.

The questions from those present at the meeting were heated and sometimes emotional. One resort owner said current low level lake levels may put him out of business. Others expressed major concern over the serious bank erosion, loss of vegetation and water degradation coming from the several years of high water levels. I have sent a letter and an email to the Corps and the Forest Service describing the serious problems sure to come for Star Island with lower levels. You were sent a copy.

More information is available on the Chippewa National Forest web site (ttp://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/Chippewa) and the links found there to the Corps of Engineers sites. Here are several addresses should you wish to express your concerns on any of this:

Mr. Steve Clark, ROPE project manager, 190 Fifth Street East, St. Paul, MN 55101-1638 or Email: Steven.J.Clark@usace.army.mil; Ms. Chantel Cook, US Forest Service, 200 Ash Ave NW, Cass Lake, MN 56633 or Email cmcook@fs.fed.us.

The Chippewa web site also includes water level data on Cass Lake (click on Current Conditions) and data on cabin permit issues (click on Passes and Permits)

   

 

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