Inside:  Vol 21, No 15, April 18, 2008                                                                                                          LAKE POINSETT WATER LEVELS                                                                         Staff from Watershed Protection and Water Rights program traveled to Lake Poinsett on Tuesday to measure lake levels, watershed inflow, and phosphorus concentrations as part of a special project.  Spring runoff in 2007, brought significant relief to the chain of lakes positioned upstream of Lake Poinsett.  Dry Lake and all five lakes in the chain including Lake Albert filled to outlet elevation (see figure).  Nonetheless, Lake Poinsett only received enough water to raise the level just over one-foot.                                                                             Tuesday’s investigation found all lake levels associated with Lake Poinsett at or near their outlet elevations.  Lake Poinsett was directly receiving an estimated 2 cubic foot per second (cfs) from Dry Lake, and an additional 2 cfs from Lake Albert.  Lake Albert was receiving an estimated 3 cfs from associated tributaries while inflow from Lake St. John was minimal.  However, the Lake Norden outlet was contributing 5.5 cfs to Lake Mary which ultimately reaches Lake St. John.  Overall, flow exchange between the lakes is minimal and expected to decrease if significant moisture is not received in the coming weeks.  Staff will continue to track lake levels, flow, and phosphorus concentrations into Lake Poinsett during the coming weeks.                                                                                                   The Big Sioux River was relatively low and not contributing to the Boswell diversion ditch or the Lake Poinsett outlet channel.  The current operation plan requires closure of the outlet gates when water levels are higher in the Big Sioux River than the lake.  The Big Sioux River is not allowed to flow into the lake if the water quality is of lesser quality than the lake.  The Big Sioux River was approximately 0.5 feet below the outlet elevation of Lake Poinsett.  Lake Poinsett was 1.46 feet below outlet elevation.