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Meeting planned for Aug. 17 in Waldorf

An informational meeting is scheduled to discuss management options and gather public input for the development of a habitat enhancement plan for Silver Lake, located near the town of Waldorf in Waseca County.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources plans to replace a failed dam at the outlet of Silver Lake. A new dam will restore Silver Lake to water levels previously maintained in the lake. It will also provide the ability for temporary water level management. Modifying water levels through drawdown and reflooding can be used to reduce populations of undesirable fish and reestablish desired aquatic vegetation, which will improve the lake’s water quality.

Stop logs in the existing dam had been used to maintain the lake 1 to 2 feet deeper than it is currently. In recent decades, the failed dam resulted in substantially lower water levels in Silver Lake, harming aquatic wildlife and the lake plant community.

Habitat conditions for furbearers and other aquatic wildlife have been affected by lower water levels. The depths are insufficient for muskrats and several nongame wildlife species to avoid freeze-out over winter. Over time, continuously lower water levels can also encourage cattails to expand at the expense of sedges, rushes and submerged vegetation. A marshy fringe heavily dominated by cattails lacks important diversity that helps define good wildlife habitat.

Water quality has been hampered by high populations of common carp that access the lake seasonally. Carp damage important aquatic wildlife habitats by uprooting food and cover plants. They also resuspend fine bottom sediments, causing the water to become more turbid. A fish barrier for the Silver Lake outlet has been recommended to protect the lake from these infestations.

To help ensure Silver Lake remains a productive environment for wildlife, the Minnesota DNR plans to pursue lake management authority that will allow Silver Lake to be managed for water and habitat quality as outlined in a comprehensive management plan. The Aug. 17 public meeting will be followed by a formal public hearing this fall.

People can ask questions and provide input at a public meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 17 at the Waldorf Community Center, 109 South Main St., Waldorf, MN 56091. Interested parties can also contact Steve Kittelson, Minnesota DNR shallow lakes specialist at 507-578-8891 or [email protected] opens in a new browser tab, or contact Jeanine Vorland, area wildlife supervisor at 507-414-6200 or [email protected] opens in a new browser tab.

Mail correspondence can be sent to Steve Kittelson, Shallow Lakes Program, 35365 800th Avenue, Madelia, MN 56062.

Pool in Silver Lake saved by residents

The city of Silver Lake, Minnesota took estimates to repair the pool between $100,000 and $180,000 – but the work would’ve kept the pool closed for the rest of the summer, and community members refused to stand by and let that happen.

SILVER LAKE, Minn. (FOX 9) - West of the metro, Silver Lake’s Maresh Aquatic Center means the world to kids who flock to it each summer in their search for an escape from the heat.

"It’s huge to our community. It’s one of the main places for the kids to hang out," Stephanie Speikers told FOX 9.

But after the state closed the pool down this month - citing safety issues - the community had to pull together for its community pool.

"I would never have imagined the amount of support that we got," Speikers added.

The problem was the pool’s surface, which was in rough shape and well past its 15-year life expectancy.

"We had pictures and it looks like someone took sandpaper and rubbed the bottom of feet," Silver Lake Public Works Superintendent and Fire Chief Dale Kosek said. "They were rough, some had little puncture holes."

The city took estimates to repair the pool between $100,000 and $180,000 – but the work would’ve kept the pool closed for the rest of the summer, and community members refused to stand by and let that happen.

Instead, about 30 volunteers scrubbed the pool surface themselves, using a drywall sanding block for hours on end. It’s only a temporary fix, meant to get them through the season.

"We rubbed and sanded every square inch of this pool to get it smooth," volunteer Brent Posusta said.

When their work was complete, they had a new problem: how to refill the pool with 150,000 gallons of water. Their small town of less than 1,000 people doesn’t have a water filtration plant, so it would’ve taken about two and a half weeks to get the pool refilled with water.

Not wanting to waste another day, instead Kosek picked up the phone and enlisted neighboring fire departments to help haul in dozens of truckloads of clean chlorinated water from Hutchinson.

"The overwhelming support was just so incredible to see," Speikers finished. "It fills my heart with joy, and I can’t wait to bring my kids here for swimming."

The town of Silver Lake recently had to close its pool due to a dangerously rough surface, but it's about to reopen thanks to a lot of help.

SILVER LAKE, Minn. — Kids in the small, western Minnesota town of Silver Lake rejoiced on Tuesday as their beloved community pool came one step closer to a re-opening, something they didn't think would be possible just a week ago.

"It's a beautiful day to help," said Brooklyn Posusta. "The whole city wanted to join to get the pool back this year."

Brooklyn and many other kids in town showed up by 7:30 a.m. to get a pool side seat as five neighboring fire departments took turns pumping water in the pool, which abruptly closed less than a week ago, due to a rough surface below the surface.

"It felt like my foot was getting scratched by sandpaper," Brooklyn Posusta said. "Everyone was scraping their feet on the bottom (of the pool) and getting bloody toes."

Brooklyn's uncle Brent Posusta says the issue led to a call to the Minnesota Department of Health, which eventually closed the pool due to health and safety concerns.

"The day that it closed, there were 25 kids that had feet reported that were cut and bleeding in the pool," he said.

Initially, Brent Posusta says city leaders anticipated that they would have to close the pool for the rest of the season as they looked to have the pool professionally resurfaced.

"One quote was $110,000 and the other quote was $180,000," Posusta said.

But after draining the pool late last week, Posusta realized that a temporary solution could help them buy time and save the summer.

Brent Posusta: "The roughness was caused by a mineral buildup on the pool that was just almost like sandpaper."

Kent Erdahl: "And you know a few things about sandpaper."

Posusta: "Yes, I'm a professional flooring contractor of 25 years, and I just looked at a pool surface as just being another type of concrete surface, that we could very likely come up with a game plan."

Erdahl: "So how do you fight a sandpaper bottom pool? With sandpaper?"

Posusta: "Yes, you actually do. The tool for the job ended up being 120 grit, mesh, sandpaper on a drywall sanding block, and many hands made for light work."

He's not kidding. After one call for help on Facebook, he says it didn't take long for the community to show how much grit it has.

"I'm telling you, within 10 minutes of going live (on Facebook), people were walking in from every angle saying, 'What can I do to help?'" Brent Posusta said. "We had more than 20 people sanding, and within two days, every inch of that surface was smooth."

On Monday, the Health Department returned for an inspection and gave the town the go-ahead to re-open.

That's when another group of volunteers rushed in.

Silver Lake Fire Chief Dale Kosek helped coordinate a pool filling parade of fire trucks to speed up the reopening.

"We are purchasing water from the city of Hutchinson, eight miles down the road," Kosek said. "Silver Lake doesn't have an iron removal plant, so our water has a lot of iron in it, usually it takes us a good two weeks or three weeks to get everything filtered out and cleaned up."

But thanks to the water from Hutch, and assistance from five neighboring departments, the pool will now be back open by Friday at the latest.

"I put out the call and everybody said, 'We'll be there,'" Kosek said. "It's just the way we do things out here. You know, I've got grandkids who are taking swimming lessons, so I didn't want to see it close for another year either."

Now that the pool is filled, Brooklyn Posusta and her friends are having trouble containing their excitement for later this week.

"Since it's going to be open pretty soon, we're going to have way more than fun," she said. "Way more than fun."

Despite everything that they have pulled off in the last week, Brent Posusta says the sanding work is just a temporary solution. He says the pool will still need a new surface in the very near future.

The community still has a lot of fundraising to do make it happen. If you'd like to help, click here for more information.

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MCLEOD COUNTY, Minn. – A young man with a new home is hitting some serious roadblocks with his driveway.

Monday afternoon, Silver Lake city crews bulldozed his driveway, cutting off access from the street in front of his home on Grand Avenue. City officials said it was their property and he must enter his lot from another street in Hale Township.

"I don't even want to live here anymore because like all the problems I've been having," Aaron Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen bought a uniquely shaped lot in Hale Township that sits on the edge of Silver Lake. He initially received an address on Grand Avenue in Silver Lake, but the city isn't allowing him to cut the curb for his driveway.

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"I went to the city council and asked for a permit and I offered to replace the whole curb, pay $500 a year to use the road, agree to all the city ordinances, be annexed," he said.

The city denied his request for a driveway citing zoning issues because of his modular home with a septic system.

"I don't get what the big issue is, it seems like I'm doing something crazy, but it's just a driveway!" he said.

The city of Silver Lake said Rasmussen could build a driveway but it would need to be on the Railroad Street side in Hale Township where his property is located. Because of the shape of the lot, he says the driveway would cut through his entire backyard, go under power lines, through trees and cost him upwards of $20,000.

"I don't see why all of a sudden they would make such a deal over this," his grandfather Don Kielas said.

Now with no driveway, Rasmussen worries about his grandfather and a lack of emergency vehicle access.

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"If I knew about this, I would have never built the house here," he said.

Rasmussen said he got all of the proper permits in Hale Township before purchasing the lot. Last week, crews removed his Grand Avenue address and he was issued a new one in Hale Township off Railroad Street, where he currently does not have a driveway.

"I think I'm pretty much just stuck at this point, I don't know," he said.

The city of Silver Lake directed questions to its attorney. Rasmussen also has also obtained legal counsel.

Kirsten Mitchell

Kirsten Mitchell joined the WCCO team as a reporter in November of 2021. A Saint Paul native, Kirsten is proud to tell stories in her home state. She graduated from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (Go Gophs!) and interned at WCCO during her time there.

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SILVER LAKE, Minn. -- Fire trucks from several communities joined forces Tuesday to help get a community pool back open.

The pool in Silver Lake was forced, last week, to close due to recurring issues with swimmers getting their feet cut on the bottom surface. The city says the 18-year-old surface only had a 15-year life but didn't present any issues until this summer.

"When we cleaned the pool this spring, you know, we weren't walking around in there barefooted," Dale Kosek, with Silver Lake Public Works, said. "We couldn't tell by looking at it. It's fine. But you get the little guys in there and they're in there two, three hours, skin starts to get soft and it was starting to irritate them."

The pool tried to fix the issue by requiring swimmers to wear shoes, but the Minnesota Department of Health stepped in.

Community members joined forces over the weekend to resurface the pool floor.

"Me being a professional tile contractor, I understand how to get surfaces smooth. I've got all the equipment with my business on sanding equipment of concrete surfaces. So I was able to take my skill set and apply it to the pool. I just needed able bodies to help doing it," Brent Posusta said.

With the smoothing work done, fire trucks from around Silver Lake came in to refill the pool and prepare it to reopen, although officials recognize this is a "Band-Aid" fix.

That fresh water now has to be chemically treated with chlorine before the pool can reopen.

The city hopes it will be ready to reopen on Friday.

Allen Henry

Allen Henry is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who joined WCCO as a reporter in August 2022.

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