Wade Bachmeier, chairman of the Morton County Water Resource District, told the commission on July 10 that the district will install three solar-powered mixers on Harmon Lake next week to help reduce blue-green algae and that a water-quality monitor (an "FSP monitor") has already been placed.

Why it matters: The mixers and monitoring are intended to reduce harmful algal blooms that have periodically affected Harmon Lake, a county-owned reservoir requiring annual maintenance reserves because of its dam site funding conditions.

Bachmeier said the mixers are local, solar-powered units and that "1 of them definitely would not take care of the problem, but 3 of them would." He described the monitoring device as "on a float right out from the kayak" and said county staff can view the data in an app.

He also gave an update on Missouri West Water projects the district oversees: plans to replace a master meter on Mandan’s north side (targeted for 2026), evaluate a problematic Flasher/Fallon tower (planning 2027–2028) and pursue a storage tank at 1806 and County Road 140 on land the district already owns.

Bachmeier said the district kept its proposed 2026 budget level, noting a $45,000 salary line and legal-fee uncertainty because the board attorney, Tom Baer, is retiring. He noted Harmon Lake maintenance reserves required by the federal/state financing for Dam Site 6 continue to grow with inflation and reported roughly $209,000 in a Harmon Lake savings account shown on the district’s balance sheet.

The district also described the Missouri River Joint Water Board’s EAE (Educate, Advocate, Engage) program, now in its third year, which Bachmeier said has gained traction in North Dakota and beyond.

Ending: Commissioners asked technical questions about mixer operation, buoying and annual removal for winter. Bachmeier said the vendor (Sunflow) will remove mixers each fall and reinstall them in spring to avoid winter ice issues. No county funding vote was requested at the meeting.