The area encompassing Waubay Lake and Bitter Lake in northeast South Dakota. (Map data from OpenStreetMap )
At the same time the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposes to turn Lake Kampeska near Watertown into an artificial flood reservoir, it now plans to study artificially sending water from the massive Bitter Lake basin down the Big Sioux River.
The latest $850,000 waste of federal taxpayer money will begin soon. This is how the Corps explains its Day County work plan:
“The overall objective of this study is to evaluate conceptual alternatives and management actions that would help to lower water levels throughout the Waubay chain of Lakes.
“The 10 major lakes in this chain are Bitter Lake, Blue Dog Lake, Enemy Swim Lake, Hillebrands Lake, Minnewasta Lake, Pickerel Lake, Rush Lake, Spring Lake, Swan Pond and Waubay Lake.”
The study’s goal is to develop “conceptual options for lowering Bitter Lake since it is located the farthest to the south and all of the other lakes eventually drain to it.”