Lake Management Plan
The final Northern Chain of Lake Management Plan was developed for Lynch Lake, Plaisted, North & South School Section and Goggins Lakes in 2016.
Water Quality & Lake Levels
These lakes continue to be monitored for water quality every two weeks spring through fall annually. The most current information can be found in the annual monitoring reports in Appendix B (lakes are listed alphabetically). Click here.
Lake elevation is also monitored during these events and reported regularly to the MN Department of Natural Resources (MnDNR). You can view the most current lake levels on the MnDNR tool called Lake Finder (South School Section) or North School Section.
In Lake Finder, you can view:
- Period of record
- # of readings
- Highest recorded elevation
- Lowest recorded elevation
- Recorded range (how much does the lake fluctuate)
- Last reading elevation with date
The 100-year high water level for North & South Lakes is 974.5 ft (same as Goggins Lake). See the District's page on Flooding for tips on how to plan for high water.
- Animation of Northern Chain of Lakes - as water levels increase, water flows from Plaisted to North & South School Section to Goggins Lake. However, before the water level reaches the constructed outlet to Goggins, the water will raise further in South School Section before finally outletting the system at 970.5 ft. The system is monitored regularly and functioned as designed in the last high water cycle in 2019-2020.
Fall 2023 Community Meeting:
In fall 2023, we held a community meeting to update residents:
- Learn about your lakes – water quality and shallow lake systems.
- Give your input on your experience with your lakes.
- Ways you can protect your lakes.
- Recent water levels and flood forecasting.
South School Section Lake Invasive Weed Management
Since the 2017 treatment for Curly-leaf Pondweed, a 2018 vegetative survey found that there was no need for treatment in 2018. See below for a copy of the survey and summary.
In 2019, a vegetative survey was completed and the DNR agreed that no herbicide treatment is needed this summer either. Check out the 2019 vegetative survey below for more information.
Curly-leaf Pondweed in South School Section
What is curly-leaf pondweed?
Curly-leaf pondweed is a non-native, invasive submersed aquatic plant that was first observed in Minnesota in about 1910.
What can be done to prevent its spread?
The most important action is to remove all vegetation from your watercraft before you move it from one body of water to another.
How to identify it
Curly-leaf is similar in appearance to many native pondweeds commonly found in Minnesota waters. It can be distinguished from other pondweeds by its unique life cycle. It is generally the first pondweed to come up in spring and dies in mid-summer.
Why is it a problem?
In spring, curly-leaf pondweed can interfere with recreation, producing dense mats at the water’s surface, as well as displacing native aquatic plants depended upon by fish and their food sources. In mid-summer, curly-leaf plants
usually die, and dying plants accumulate on shorelines. There is some evidence that it is negatively impacting the water quality of South School Section Lake.
What can be done?
Past experience in Minnesota and elsewhere has shown that eradication or elimination of curly-leaf pondweed from lakes is not a realistic goal. Problems caused by curly-leaf can be managed using available methods of control. Dense mats of curly-leaf that interfere with use of a lake can be reduced by mechanical harvesting or treatment with herbicide.
