08/16/2010

On 8/15, we drove from Hazelton, ND to Pierre, SD. Landed at a Super Walmart, the first one that I have seen for 20 days. So I had to go shopping. Really I did need groceries as I hadn't bought groceries for 10 days.

While I was shopping, Al tried to take a nap. We had heard flapping on passenger side while traveling. Al checked and didn't find anything. Once I left the vent open for the range and thought that was the problem. Well, while he was trying to take a nap, he kept hearing the flapping and checked and our awning was trying to come undone. It had a metal cover and Al had put clamps on the stands to make sure it didn't come down while traveling because we saw that scene once on another person's RV and it is not fine.

I had wanted to remove this awning while it was at RV place in S Sioux but of course Al always has a better idea.

So it is Sunday evening and I call Coachnet which is our RV road service. They said they would call in AM with the name of RV service center to help us.

Cisco got loose from us. Al started to take him for a walk and thought he was leashed and he wasn't. He ran the Walmart lot about 3 times and peed or tried to on every lamp pole. Another girl was helping and Al and I was outside calling him. He just looks at us and runs faster and when he is finished, he lopes into the motorhome.

On Monday morning, they call and tell me of Dakota RV which is 45 miles away in Fort Pierre and they give me a phone number. I tell them that I don't want to drive 45 miles west but they tell me that is the only one. When I call the number, it is a fax machine. So I bring out the computer and look for Dakota RV. The phone number they gave me has one number wrong. And Dakota Rv is less than 3 miles from us. So I call them and they tell me that there is no way they can take the time to remove this awning and they have work that they have to get done. When I ask them if they know where I can take it, they relent and say bring it in. We did. They loosened it, cut it and removed metal cover. They thought it probably was the original awning. Charged me $60 and I said, check, debit or credit card. They wanted a check.

Then we saw a gas station where we could get diesel for $2.90 if we paid cash. So we used all the cash we had $124 to fill gas tank.

Started driving south on 83. Not the best road, but virtually no traffic. Came to Rosebud Indian Reservation where there was a casino. Thought I would go in buy some cheap cigarettes. When I asked at counter, they pointed me to cigarette machine where the cigarettes were $7 per pack.

Drove further south to Valentine, NE. Drove a little farther and saw sign for campground. It was a little leery driving in here. A long bridge over Niobrara River but it was OK. Mom and Pop RV court on river. Lots of trees. Horses whinning 10 yards from us. Wild turkeys walking around. One other camper here on motorcycle. Has a tent that just covers his sleeping bag.

08/14/2010

Yesterday, the rv tech brought out to us the large fuse. He installed it but things still weren't working properly. So he called the mfg rep and they started troubleshooting. The fuse blew and the converter/inverter smoked. The mfg is sending us a new one to Al's sister's home in Denver. We will then have 3 of these monsters and will take it to Nolan's RV in Denver for this and all the other work that I want done. It won't be cheap. I think their rate is $100 for labor but they do a good job.

We left Devils Lake, ND this am. People in the park were wearing sweatshirts and as we drove out, many people were fishing along the shore along the road and they had on coats. There was probably 80 cars where the boat docks were. THAT IS A BIG LAKE and everybody comes out with fish.

We drove state highways south and west to get to highway 83 which will take us into North Platte. We drove 180 miles and it was hard driving for Al because we had a west wind. The wind doesn't actually affect this as much as our other motorhomes but it is still a factor. We saw acres and acres of sunflowers, wheat, prairie. No Walmarts in the 180 miles and I haven't bought groceries for over a week. But we have enough.
Also no traffic, probably saw a dozen cars and 3 semis on the road in the 180 miles.

A man on an Yahoo group told me that he had worked with ND and other states to promote RV parking in small towns to promote business in their town. We found one in Hazelton, ND. We have water and electricity for $15. Most of the towns we went thru today were wide spots in the road with a gas station, grain elevator and bar.

Looking forward until tomorrow. It is 160 miles to Pierre, SD and there is a Walmart there.

08/11/2010 spiritual

This trip has been so strange. 1st we planned to leave after Nick's wedding on 6/5. Then I had sqaumous skin cancer removed with four stitches. We find motorhome needs new tires, leveler motor. convex mirror and developed a leak. The the doctor calls and said it is time for Al to have colonoscopy. So we finally get gone by 7/26. Then refer won't work on gas. Got new circuit board. Then we have no power if no shore power or generator on. No service center could help us because they either did not know how to work on big rigs or they didn't have time. Finally, we find someone in Devil's Lake, ND that will help us. He determines that we need a new converter/inverter combo. He places order with catalogue rep on Monday who places order with xantrex.

08/11/2010

Well u know it is hot when the ice bag goes from forehead to back of neck.

The RV tech called today and said that our part was in and he would be out to install. He arrived about noon. We had to turn all power off. He got it installed and attached the remote inside over drivers seat. He plugged us back into shore power and heard a pop. Nothing worked and then he found a large fuse that about the size of a transformer fuse was blown. Soooo he went back into town to find one. He ended up at an electrical place who will order one from a place in Fargo tomorrow and will arrive here on Friday or Saturday. Cost for this fuse is $75.

The tech had to come back to our motorhome to get tools so I asked him to bring us water as we were on our last gallon which he did. Al wanted something sweet but I couldn't reach tech again so I made him buttermilk doughnuts tonite.

We hadn't paid for our nites fee for this space and I could not walk over there in 90 degree weather so I called and they sent a park ranger to to collect fee.

But by ye God, I am going in the morning to pay for another nights fee and I am getting a fishing license. I don't care if it is 100 tomorrow, I am not spending another day in this motorhome.

8/09/2010

[]

Grahams Island State Park

Devils Lake—North Dakota's largest natural lake—is home to a 1,142-acre park system including Grahams Island State Park and a boat access area on the east side of the lake, named Black Tiger Bay State Recreation Area.

The lake is a closed drainage basin, marked by periods of fluctuating water levels. Over the past decade the lake has risen over 25 feet. Grahams Island State Park is connected by road over an elevated embankment, and travelers should exercise caution during high winds.

The lake features some of the best fishing in North Dakota, both summer and winter. Amenities at Grahams Island State Park include a boat ramp, bait shop, modern and primitive camping facilities and camping cabins.

Location

10 miles west of Devils Lake on Highway 19, then five miles south on Grahams Island Road.

Fees

Entrance fee—$5/day per vehicle or $25 annual vehicle permit

Camping—$20/night campsite with electricity; $12/night campsite without electricity.

Camping cabins—$40/night

Nearby Attractions

Fort Totten State Historic Site • Sully Hill National Game Preserve • Spirit Lake Sioux Reservation • Native American Crafts • Casino • Golf • Shopping • Lodging • Restaurants

About this park

Grahams Island State Park-overview
Park maps
Park cabins
Activity calendar
Nature in the park
History
Photo Album
Cabin Rental Policies
Firewood Alert

Reservations

Make a reservation

Facilities

1,122 acres
107 sites
30/50 amps
Reservations
Dump station
Showers
Sleeping cabins
Activity center
Boat ramp
Gas
Bait Shop
Hiking trails
Picnic shelters
Playground

Contact

Grahams Island State Park
152 S. Duncan Road
Devils Lake, ND 58301
Ph. 701-766-4015
E-mail dlsp@nd.gov

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North Dakota Parks & Recreation Department 1600 E. Century Ave., Suite 3, Bismarck, ND 58503, Ph. 701-328-5357, E-mail parkrec@nd.gov Well we have been here since Friday after buying groceries and gas. When I called to see if they had space available, they said only one and it was first come, first served. I asked them why space 7A was always open and they said because it was for handicap and we needed a sticker which we had so we got it. Called rv service center today and talked with tech. He said part was not there so I asked him to contact somebody and find out where it was. He called back and said that the catalogue/rep found that it had never been sent. He faxed in the order but the mfg did not receive it. So the rep asked them to send it overnight at their expense since it was their error only to find out later that it is back ordered and the mfg is unable to send it. So the rep went to another company for one and is having it overnighted and he guaranteed that it would be here on Wednesday. So we have decided to wait because we have to have it to boon dock at Alcova reservoir where we go trout fishing with our friends and we would just have to wait on this part if we went to another rv service center. Al has decided that we should not go to Glacier and Yellowstone which disappoints me greatly but he said we have been held up so long here and are weary from all the hassle. He said if we go from here to Casper and to Alcova Reservoir, we will at least be in some altitude because it is about the same elevation as Denver and will cool down at night. We have spent the worst day today. Our neighbor told Al when he was walking dog that his thermometer read 97. We only have the back a/c in bedroom working and it is smaller than the front one. Then we have fans set up to try and bring air out here. Al said that we will NEVER travel in July and August again. We are as homebound now as we were at home waiting to leave.

08/05/2010

Have been parked here since Sunday. Will leave tomorrow as this place is full for the week-end. No word on part today.
Pup tents on one side of us is a US conservation crew. 3 boys and 2 girls are working in a natural wildlife refuge close to here. They are between 18 and 25. They have to wear steel toed boots and they come back to camp every night so tired and the first thing they do is take off their boots. They are out of Minnesota, I think.

The small pop up behind us is like the size of 1/2 of regular pop up camper and is pulled by a motorcycle.

Our son called last night and he was familiar with this place. He said we should have rented a golf cart and gone fishing. It is 3 or 4 blocks from our motorhome and we haven't felt like carrying everything to the water to fish. Besides, Monday and Tuesday, it was too hot and humid to do so.

These pictures aren't real great. First, I don't know how to work camera very well. Second, I cannot see in the viewer when taking a picture when I am in the sun. Then I forgot how to download them and share them. Have spent 2 hours trying to figure that out.

Got a chip in our windshield fixed today. That was a trip. Our insurance, Progressive, has a "preferred provider" which is Safelite so they had a man from Jamestown which is 100 miles away driver and fix chip for their fee of $60.

Cisco is afraid of 3 wooden silhouette black bears.

There allot of permanent residences here. Travel trailers, 5th wheels, park models. I guess they live here during the summer.

Talked with a neighbor fisherman today. I guess the fishing is really good here. He says there can be 500 boats on lake and still room for more. And the people tell me that there are LOTS of fish in lake. More plentiful than Minnesota, but the lakes in Mn are owned by the Indians and they put a slot on what can be caught. There is a train that actually brings ice fishermen here during the winter. This fisherman tells me that he usually spends $20 for gas for his boat in one week-end because it takes 20 minutes to get from one part of lake to another.

Devils Lake
View from space (March 2009)
Location	Ramsey / Benson counties, North Dakota, USA
Coordinates	48°2′5″N 98°56′39″W / 48.03472°N 98.94417°W / 48.03472; -98.94417 Coordinates: 48°2′5″N 98°56′39″W / 48.03472°N 98.94417°W / 48.03472; -98.94417
Lake type	Endorheic
Catchment area	3,810 sq mi (9,900 km2)
Basin countries	United States
Surface elevation	1,451.98 ft (442.56 m)
Settlements	Devils Lake, Minnewaukan

Devils Lake is a freshwater lake in the U.S. state of North Dakota. It is the largest natural body of water and the second-largest body of water in North Dakota after the artificially created Lake Sakakawea. In 2006, it reached a historical high elevation of 1,449.2 ft (441.7 m) , an area of 216 mi² (560 km²), and a volume of 2.7 million acre-feet (3.3 km³). On July 2, 2010, the National Weather Service monitoring station at Devils Lake reported a lake level of 1451.98 ft.

The city of Devils Lake, North Dakota takes its name from the lake.

Contents [hide] 1 Geography 2 Hydrology 2.1 Salinity 2.2 Flooding 3 Recreation 4 Issues and controversies 4.1 Outlet controversy 4.2 Carp 4.3 Empire Builder 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Geography

Devils Lake is located in Ramsey County and Benson County in northeastern North Dakota. The Spirit Lake Tribe occupies most of the southern shore.

[edit] Hydrology

Devils Lake is the endorheic, or closed, lake of a drainage basin of some 3,800 mi² (9,800 km²), the Devils Lake Basin. The lake itself collects around 86 percent of the basin's water runoff.^[1] Above a level of some 1,447 ft (441 m)(NAVD88) AMSL the lake spills into neighboring Stump Lake. At 1,458 ft (444 m) (NAVD88) the combined lake flows naturally into the Sheyenne River, though the lake has not reached this level in approximately 1,000 years. The Sheyenne River is a tributary to the Red River, which flows into Canada, with eventual exit into the Hudson Bay.^[1] Current dike protection is set at 1454 ft (443 m)(NAVD88).

Under normal conditions Devils Lake is shallow, saline, and hypereutrophic (high in nutrients). During periods of excessive precipitation, however, the lake can be quite deep (up to 60 feet (18 m) in places), eutrophic (rich in minerals, nutrients, and organisms), with decreased salinity due to dilution.^[1]

[edit] Salinity

Because Devils Lake is endorheic, the lake tends to be much higher in salinity than are lakes with outlets to river systems. This is similar to the Great Salt Lake in Utah.^[2] Lower water levels increases salinity threatening fish and wildlife.^[2] Salinity levels in the lake have been one prominent aspect of the debate over diversion of lake water into the Sheyenne River, with questions of the potential environmental impact of the diverted water on downstream rivers, lakes, and communities.^[3]

[edit] Flooding

Historical Elevations of Devils Lake, 1860-2008

Devils Lake: 1984

Devils Lake: 2009

Devils Lake is well-known for its wide variations in lake levels, with large swings between low and high water levels. This owes in large part to its nature as a closed-basin lake, lacking a natural outlet. The release of water is dependent upon evaporation and seepage.^[2]

The low, flat terrain of the region in which Devils Lake resides consists of various coulees, channels, and basins, which may be separated during times of low water, or connected during high water.^[2] Thus the boundaries of the lake can vary greatly from year to year, depending on the amount of precipitation.

The conversion of natural flood control mechanisms into agricultural land has had an effect on the flooding at Devils Lake. Drainage of the basin's wetlands and conversion of the basin's native prairie to cropland allows water to move more rapidly into the lake increasing water levels.^[4] In addition, the diversion of natural water flows has also been viewed as a contributor to the flooding.^[4]

An increase in precipitation between 1993 and 1999 caused the lake to double in size, forcing the displacement of over 300 homes and covering 70,000 acres (280 km²) of farmland with water.^[5] Attempts to mitigate the flooding have reportedly cost North Dakota and the U.S. Government over $450 million. Efforts to control flooding include dike construction and moving railroad lines, roads, and power lines.^[6]

In response to the flooding, the U.S. Congress directed the Army Corps of Engineers to research construction of an outlet in 1997 to control the lake level through methods other than evaporation or natural overflow.^[3] The Corps' design included mechanisms for filtration and monitoring of the water, and was estimated to cost $186.5 million.^[7]

North Dakota, objecting to the cost and certain water quality provisions of the plan, declined to participate in construction of the Corps' outlet.^[3] In 2003, the state constructed its own outlet to divert water from Devils Lake into the Sheyenne River at a cost of $28 million.^[5] The outlet became operational in 2005; however, the state did not divert water from the lake in 2006 because of water quality and biota issues that prevented North Dakota from operating the outlet under its own environmental permits.^[3] The outlet operated at the maximun permitted rate for the first time in July 2009 to lower the high lake level.^[8]

The National Weather Service is the official government agency responsible for observing and predicting water levels at Devils Lake.^[9]

[edit] Recreation

Devils Lake has long been known for fishing and other watersports. It has been named the perch capital of the world. There are a number of boat ramps and other facilities around the lake to facilitate recreational activities on the lake. Recreation in the form of open water and ice fishing has been estimated to generated in excess of $20 million dollars annually.

Sullys Hill National Game Preserve is located on the lake's southern shore. Grahams Island State Park is located on an island in the lake. Other parks on the lake include Black Tiger State Recreation Area and Shelvers Grove State Recreation Area ^[10] , which is now closed due to the lake's flooding.

[edit] Issues and controversies

[edit] Outlet controversy

One of two large pumps used in the state constructed outlet.

During the most recent wet cycle which began in 1993, the lake rose over 26.5 ft (8.1 m), inundating 140 mi² (363 km²) of primarily agricultural land, necessitating the expenditure of over $400 million in flood protection measures^[5] and leading some to call for an emergency outlet into the Sheyenne River.

A proposal from the Army Corps of Engineers would have drawn water from a different point of the lake, included filtration, and been able to discharge a maximum of 300 ft³/s (8 m³/s) of water from Devil's Lake, lessening the reliance of drainage on overflow or evaporation.^[3] The Corps of Engineers estimated project costs to amount to $186.5 million, with the United States Congress designating $100 million to the project; North Dakota would have paid the remaining amount.^[5]

The North Dakota government under Governor John Hoeven, objecting to water quality provisions and the amount of necessary funding,^[3] instead constructed its own outlet, with approval of the North Dakota Department of Health and the U.S. State Department and Council For Environmental Quality. Though North Dakota's outlet, which cost $28 million, has a lower maximum discharge than the federal proposal (limited to a maximum of 100 ft³/s (2.8 m³/s) by the Section 402 NDPDES Permit) and includes a gravel filter for the removal of larger organisms, it has provided some relief to the flood problem.^[11] Construction began in 2003 and was completed as of summer 2005.

The outlet has drawn opposition from the governments of Minnesota and Manitoba, which maintain that the outlet would create the potential for unacceptable levels of sulfates in the river, and the potential for the transfer of unknown foreign aquatic species into the Red River basin (including Lake Winnipeg, the world's 10th-largest freshwater lake), as the outlet would release untreated water from the lake.^{[citation needed]}

In March 2004, Manitoba, along with Minnesota and several environmental groups, sued the Department of Health in state court over the Devils Lake Outlet 402 NDPDES Permit. The outlet was allowed to proceed in state court rulings August 2004 and May 2005; however, federal courts have yet to weigh in on the issue.^{[citation needed]}

In addition, though the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 established an intermediary, the International Joint Commission (IJC), through which the United States and Canada can solve cross-boundary water disputes, the IJC has no power to act without invocation by both nations.^[12] Canada attempted to invoke the IJC for purposes of conflict resolution, but the United States did not, effectively preventing the IJC from taking part in the controversy.^[13]

The Canadian government has taken a particular interest in the matter, arguing that completion of the outlet as currently planned would be a violation of the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 and Canada's national sovereignty. The U.S. government contends the diversion will not be harmful or violate the treaty under current conditions.

In November 2005, a joint United States and Canadian study concluded that none of the 13 species Canada classifies as invasive were present in Devils Lake. The study did find three species of fish parasites that are not currently known to exist in Lake Winnipeg. However, all three are ubiquitous to the waters of North America and have a wide variety of hosts. A difficulty inherent in determining what species are in Devils Lake versus Lake Winnipeg results from spatial relationships. Devils Lake is approximately 193 mi² (502 km²) in area. Lake Winnipeg covers approximately 9,400 mi² (24,300 km²), or almost 49 times larger than Devils Lake. In addition, the Devils Lake Basin is significantly smaller than the watersheds feeding Lake Winnipeg, including the Saskatchewan River basin at approximately 56,000 mi² (1,450,000 km²). Drawing conclusions about the biological community already in Lake Winnipeg is difficult, due to the relative lack of biological sampling compared to Devils Lake. To that end, joint efforts by the United States and Canada began a biannual biological survey of Devils Lake, the Sheyenne River, the Red River, Lake Traverse, and Lake Winnipeg beginning in 2006 and ending in 2008. Data from the first year of sampling indicates that fish in Devils Lake are healthier than fish in other waterbodies in the region. Highlighting the lack of knowledge about biological communities outside of Devils Lake, two alien parasite species were found in Lake Winnipeg, the Asian tapeworm, Bothriocephalus acheilognathi and the blood dwelling trematode, Sanguincola occidentalis. To date, the Government of Manitoba has not swayed from its position that the State of North Dakota install a more extensive filtration system at the outlet of the lake than is already in place.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Carp

Due to the rising waters of the Devils Lake and its basin, streams can flow in two directions: into the Red River Valley or the Devils Lake Basin. The Red River Valley basin contains a "rough fish", the common carp, which the North Dakota Game and Fish Department fears will enter Devils Lake basin waters in the near future, allowing the carp to populate Devils Lake. The carp's fast reproductive growth and the lack of carp predators in the lake will likely help it to dramatically increase in population. This could have drastic consequences for existing populations of game fish such as the walleye and northern pike, which could greatly harm the sport fishing industry.

Some preventative measures have been proposed, including inserting chemicals in the creeks along the boundary of the Devils Lake Basin and the Red River Valley that do not allow fish to live. Biologists did tests in 2005 which conclude that there are currently no carp in the Devils Lake Basin, but some have been found within two miles (3 km). The carp appear to have been stalled by the abundant cattail plants, which makes travel impossible for the fish.

[edit] Empire Builder

In 2009, the BNSF Railway ended all freight service between Devils Lake and Church's Ferry, a total of 19 miles, in favor of the KO Subdivision, caused by the lake's rising waters. Amtrak's Empire Builder currently runs over this route, servicing Grand Forks, Devils Lake, and Rugby, ND. BNSF has offered Amtrak the right to operate over the KO sub., and even suggest Amtrak make a station stop at New Rockford, but Amtrak has stated that they will continue running over the line. Within the next few years, Amtrak will either have to rebuild the bridge that crosses the lake in Church's Ferry, or reroute