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Published August 22, 2010, 12:00 AM

Photo gallery: Devils Lake

A look at how the rising lake is affecting the area around it


Joe Belford, a Ramsey County Commissioner, watches as water flows from the outlet on the west end of Devils Lake into the Sheyenne River. He credits the outlet with helping to stablize the lake level, now six feet from flowing uncontrolled into the river. Pat Springer / The Forum

  • Joe Belford, a Ramsey County Commissioner, watches as water flows from the outlet on the west end of Devils Lake into the Sheyenne River. He credits the outlet with helping to stablize the lake level, now six feet from flowing uncontrolled into the river. Pat Springer / The Forum
  • Mike Grafsgard, engineer for the city of Devils Lake, points to Stump Lake, now part of Devils Lake. The lake is now at the edge of Tolna Coulee, its natural outlet, and will begin spilling into the Sheyenne River if it rises another six feet. The city owns Tolna Coulee and would like to make it an emergency spillway for the dikes protecting the city. Downstream cities would prefer that water with better quality is released, however. Pat Springer / The Forum
  • Old Highway 281 at the junction with U.S. Highway 2 is submerged after Devils Lake rose 3 1/2 feet last year. Now the road remnant serves as shoreline for anglers who flock to the lake to fish. Patrick Springer / The Forum
  • Two homes in the Lakewood subdivision near the city of Devils Lake were flooded this spring, as the lake was rising to its record level, 1,452.1 feet. The lake has since subsided slightly, to about 1.451.7 feet, but remains almost six feet from overflowing. Almost 400 homes have been destroyed or relocated as the lake his risen 30 feet since 1992. Patrick Springer / The Forum
  • This farm, south of U.S. Highway 2 west of the city of Devils Lake, is one of many that have been flooded by Devils Lake, which has swallowed an estimated 125,000 acres of farmland as it has risen 30 feet, and quadrupled in size, since 1992. Patrick Springer / The Forum
  • Rising Devils Lake threatens to flood this railroad bridge, which serves Amtrak's Empire Builder. Officials say it would cost more than $60 million to raise the bridge to keep the line running if the lake keeps going up. Pat Springer / The Forum