DNR warns Minnesota boat owners of inaccessible launches and dangerously low water levels
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Not all boats are floating right now because water levels are dangerously low on many Twin Cities lakes and rivers.
If you were hoping to cool off in this heat by boating, it might not be your best option because the DNR says you risk damaging the bottom of your boat.
The DNR says low water levels are making access on boat launches difficult. They said the most problematic launches on Twin Cities lakes right now are Sand Point and Dewitt launches on Prior Lake, and then the only launch on Spring Lake, which is next door to Prior Lake.
"This spring we were all the way up to the bushes," said Kristina Cummings, the general manager of St. Paul Yacht Club. She pointed out how the Mississippi River has dropped by 12 feet in the last 2 months.
"In June we had flood conditions, and by the first of August, we have drought conditions. It's not usually this dramatic," said Cummings.
That dramatic drop she says dropped business at the St. Paul Yacht Club by 8-10% this season.
"It's a combination of gas prices and low water that [boaters] are sticking with the beaches that they know," said Cummings.
The National Weather Service says the Mississippi River at downtown St. Paul stands at 3.5 feet this Tuesday. A healthy level is anywhere from 4-8 feet deep.
As we start the hottest stretch of the summer, people are still getting out on the river and lakes, but there are risks in putting your boat in right now.
"We have a boat we pulled out today that bent its prop and bent its rudder, which is going to be a decent amount of costly damage," said Cummings.
To keep themselves in business, St. Paul Yacht Club invested in a system that deepens the channel to allow boats to move through it.
"We're doing all we can. We have a drudger that we've purchased to clean things up," said Cummings.
There are giant bags on site that are full of silt that Cummings and her team drudged up from the floor of the river to keep the boats afloat in their marina.
However, other parts of the river don't have that luxury and are all dried up.
"If we had just another 8 inches of water, most of our boats could get to fun little hidden gems that people wouldn't necessarily know of," said Cummings.
The DNR suggests people consider taking their boats out of the lakes earlier than normal this year, while ramps are still accessible.
The DNR says we need more than a day's worth of rain to get back to a healthy water level at this point.