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spread, the town grew into a popular resort area, attracting visitors from all along the Mississippi River.

People would travel up the Mississippi by steamboat and on to White Bear Lake by train. Soon resorts and hotels lined the lake's shores, while restaurants, theaters and stores sprang up in the downtown to accommodate visitors.

According to the White Bear Lake Historical Society, Manitou Island was developed in 1881 by the Manitou Implement Company and provided water and sewer service.

When the City of White Bear Lake was incorporated in 1921, the population was slightly more than 2,000 people on a little more than two square miles of land. The area and population eventually grew to 13,000 and seven square miles, respectively. Today, the city's 24,000 residents enjoy being part of a major metropolitan area, while living in a community with a small town appeal. The population goes up; the lake level goes up and down

For the first 15,000 years of its existence, the water level in the lake went up and down, and people adapted without fuss, as far as we know. But when human population around the lake grew exponentially and everyone looked to the lake to fulfill many needs, the water level in the lake became a major concern.

Feet above sea level 2.5’

WBL fluctuation/year

918.8’ Record low 2013 926.96’ Record high 1943 922’ Protected level 922.77’ Current level 922.37’

Low level fall 2022 924.25’

High level 2022 https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ water_access/harbors/boatingsafety/ aids_to_navigation.html

The first recorded concern about the lake's water levels occurred in 1886, during the construction of the first St. Paul Winter Carnival ice palace. When future ice palaces included ice blocks harvested from White Bear Lake, many feared that the lake would have little to no water left from the hundreds of thousands of blocks of ice removed from it. There was nothing to fear; the lake always replenished itself, they were told.

And yet, we now know that lake levels in White Bear Lake fluctuate dramatically due to the extent that we use its water, coupled with its lack of replenishment. This is because the lake is a small watershed, without a lot of streams to replenish the lake with fresh water. The lack of tributaries also brings the benefit of a cleaner lake, compared with other lakes in the metropolitan area, due to pollution not being introduced from feeder streams.

Because of its large surface area and small tributary watershed, lake levels in White Bear Lake can fluctuate up to 2.5 feet in one year. Fluctuations of up to seven feet over the lake's history have been observed. With its smaller watershed, White Bear Lake also takes longer to fill back up.

According to Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and White Bear Lake Conservation District (WBLCD) statistics, the record low water level on White Bear Lake was 918.8 feet above mean sea level in 2013. The highest level ever recorded on White Bear Lake was 926.96 feet above mean sea level in 1943.

The average ordinary high-water level for White Bear Lake is 924.89 feet above mean sea level. The protective elevation for White Bear Lake is 922 feet above mean sea level. The protective elevation of 922 feet above mean sea level is an effort to protect the lake's ecosystem benefits and keep negative recreational

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