New Morton County lake fills unexpectedly

MANDAN, N.D. (AP) — Runoff from heavy winter snowfall has filled a new manmade lake north of Mandan at least a year ahead of schedule.

Harmon Lake in Morton County is part of a flood control operation. Known technically as Dam No. 6, it is part of the Square Butte Water Shed plan. The lake will operate as both a recreation area and spillway/dam for runoff from the watershed west of state Highway 25.

Brad Benson, state construction engineer for the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service, said the primary spillway began operating late last month.

“We’ve been holding well. This is how the dam is designed,” he said. “We’re doing fine.”

NRCS officials have been monitoring the lake daily.

The $7.2 million project was completed in November 2007. Federal, state and local officials didn’t expect it to fill to recreational depths until 2010 or 2011.

The 144-acre lake will have a maximum depth of 38 feet under normal operating conditions. Officials liken it to McDowell Dam, east of Bismarck. It will be managed by Morton County Parks and Recreation but there are numerous partners in the project, including the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

“We’ll definitely be stocking fish this year,” said Greg Power, the agency’s fisheries chief. “It will be between late April and midsummer.”

He expects the lake to be filled with young crappie, largemouth bass and trout. “It’s going to take a couple of years to build,” he said.

With recreational im-provements, the project is expected to cost up to $12 million. The NRCS will pay for all of the flood control costs and half of the recreation improvements at the lake, said Dennis Reep, state conservation engineer for the NRCS.

County Parks Director Vern Davis said he expects an 8 1/2-mile biking and walking trail to be two-thirds done by the end of construction season. A local mountain biking group also would like to create a separate 8-mile primitive trail for biking and walking.

A boat ramp already is in place. Officials also plan fishing piers, a boat dock and up to 75 camping spaces, many with electrical hookups.

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