Drought, low water levels force closure of Lake Minnetonka Swim Pond

The Lake Minnetonka Swim Pond is closed for the season, a result of the ongoing drought conditions in Minnesota.

Three Rivers Park District said the early closure, effective Aug. 16, is due to both the "severe drought conditions" and low water levels on Lake Minnetonka — the water source for the swimming pond.

The Lake Minnetonka Conservation District says the Ordinary High Water level for the lake is 929.4 feet, though exact readings day to day can fluctuate. 

Related: With water levels extremely low, is it already time to take the boat off the water?

Water levels, which are measured at Gray's Bay, have slowly declined over the past 60 days, falling from about 928.9 feet June 17 to 928.26 as of Aug. 16. The median levels during that span over the past three years are 929-929.5 feet.

Gray's Bay Dam has been closed for much of that time, as is required when the water level dips below 928.6 feet. And discharge into Minnehaha Creek in recent days has been below 1 cubic foot per second.

The 1.75-acre, chlorinated Lake Minnetonka Swim Pond is part of Lake Minnetonka Regional Park in Minnetrista. Surrounded by sand, it normally reaches a maximum depth of 6 feet.