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Hundreds weigh in on Lake Malauulu drawdown; residents split between immediate action and more study
Summary
More than 40 registered speakers addressed the county board on the Lake Malauulu drawdown; many urged rescinding county authorization to avoid downstream phosphorus impacts while lake residents and the association urged proceeding to a DNR hearing and presenting Stantec core-sampling results.
The public comment portion of the St. Croix County Board meeting ran long and featured more than 40 speakers on the Lake Malauulu drawdown question. Speakers who live on or near Lake Malauulu described severe muck, algae outbreaks and declines in fishing and recreation, and asked for decisive action to prevent further degradation. "This lake is in peril," said Jeff Labors, president of the Lake Malauulu Association, noting that the association had voted with more than 100 members to press ahead with drawdown planning and core sampling to be presented at a planned DNR hearing.
Opponents—many representing conservation groups and downstream interests—argued the drawdown could send significant amounts of phosphorus and sediment into the Saint Croix River, undermining watershed investments. "Please vote yes to protect the improvements in water quality in the Saint Croix River achieved by the excellent work of the county land and water program," Bud Fuchs told the board, referring to the county's conservation work.
Other speakers urged patience and more technical review: residents and municipal representatives asked for Stantec's modeling to be peer-reviewed and for the DNR technical staff to present findings at an August meeting. Board members heard repeated references to the county's prior investments—373 conservation contracts and approximately $4.4 million since 2013—as context for the decision.
The spectrum of public testimony underscored both the intensity of local feeling and the technical disagreements about likely phosphorus transport and ecological outcomes. Following the public comment period, supervisors debated motions to postpone the decision and to set conditions; both postponement measures failed and the board ultimately voted to rescind the county's authorization.
