Lake levels rise after rainy month

Just outside of Perham, water is creeping closer and closer to overtaking docks on Devils Lake.

"I left mine up about a foot, and I've raised it another 5 inches."

Pete Caron has been on the lake for 18 years. He says in July they've had 16 inches of rainfall, leaving the lake as high as it has been in 10 years. And without an outlet on the lake, Caron says it's not going down anytime soon.

"It’s raised about 25 inches since last fall."

With all the heavy rains the road that runs around Devils Lake has washed out in some spots, crews have had to bring in gravel rocks and oil to patch it.

"There was a rut across here about 8 or 10 inches deep halfway across the road on the other side of the hill it was all the way across the road. It was a crack that looked like an earthquake crack."

To keep cabins safe, Caron says most people put rip wrap down years ago after high waters washed away some 4 feet of shoreline. He says for most people their only concern now is the docks being submerged.

"I suppose you could leave it down there and still walk on the dock if it doesn't get too deep; it's just that you wouldn't sit on the dock."

Caron says one cabin owner who doesn't have the rip wrap on the shoreline, did have to put out some sandbags this weekend.

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