The St. Michael City Council will take action tonight to enforce a “No Wake” zone on Beebe Lake in St. Michael.
The regional park and nearby boat access sees plenty of summer traffic during warm days, but the 5 m.p.h. speed limit will be needed for boats as record rains have pushed the water to levels as high as they were in 2012, the last time the city had to work with the Beebe Lake Improvement Association to keep water out of people’s yards.
Kris Olson, head of the association, said the lake dropped six inches last year to a low level, making this year’s high water a bit more manageable. However, the region has seen rainfall about 6 inches above average for this time of year, raising the lake to a point where it is covering docks and eroding shoreline.
The city council is expected to give the ordinance a “thumbs up” at its meeting tonight at 7 p.m., and the No Wake Zone will be in place until the lake drops to levels closer to “normal.”
High water on the lake has been a chronic problem over the last decade. St. Michael Public Works has spent money pumping water from Beebe Lake over a roadway to a nearby wetland, and has provided hundreds of pounds of sand for sandbags to homeowners on the popular lake.
Two other lakes in Wright County currently have “No Wake” ordinances in place, according to the Wright County Sheriff’s Office.