Big Sandy Lake

Last updated
Big Sandy Lake
Bigsandylake.jpg
(June 2006)
USA Minnesota relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Big Sandy Lake
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Big Sandy Lake
Location Aitkin County, Minnesota, U.S.
Coordinates 46°46′05″N93°16′26″W / 46.768°N 93.274°W / 46.768; -93.274
Primary inflows Sandy River, Prairie River, Aitkin River
Primary outflows Sandy River
Basin  countriesUnited States
Surface area6,526 acres (2,641 ha)
Max. depth84 ft (26 m)
Water volume134,018  acre⋅ft (0.165309 km3)
Shore length146.6 mi (75 km)
Surface elevation1,216 ft (371 m)
Islands 25 [1]
References [1]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Big Sandy Lake is a lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota, approximately nine miles north of McGregor. The lake is considered fertile walleye ground with several habitat types, including the open main basin, the deep, cold eastern basin, and a shallow, more isolated south basin. Shallow bays containing dense beds of wild rice are found on south, west, and northwest sides of the lake.

Contents

Public access is provided by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources at two locations, the first on the Sandy River north of the "Pier 65" bridge, and the second on the northeast side of the lake. Additional points of access are maintained by the Corps of Engineers and Shamrock Township.

Features

Big Sandy Lake became a reservoir in 1895 when the United States Army Corps of Engineers built a dam on the Sandy River. When the dam was built it included a lock to allow boats to travel out to the Mississippi River. The lock has since been shut down and the lock house has been turned into a small museum containing local artifacts. Big Sandy Lake has three major tributaries; Sandy River, Prairie River, and Aitkin River. Sandy River enters the lake from the south and empties back into itself after the Big Sandy Dam on the northwest corner. Prairie River enters the lake from the east into Bill Horn Bay. Aitkin Creek enters the lake from the northwest, near the Big Sandy dam.

Parts of the lake

Big Sandy Lake is known for being an intricate and complex shaped body of water. It is broken up into five main parts:

The Main Basin: Largest part of the lake on the upper half of the lake. Its extent ranges from the northeastern bay above Indian Point in Waban Bay to the western edge of the lake north of Long Island. The Main Basin connects to the Van Dusch Creek on the northern shore and Aitkin River and the dam in the northwest corner. Wide open water with consistent depth of around 20-40 feet.

Bell Horn Bay: Deepest part of the lake located on the eastern edge of the lake. It reaches depths of up to 84 feet. The extent of the bay is broken up into two parts, the northern half under Indian point and the southern deeper half that goes all the way down along Long Point. The Prairie River stems off from the eastern side of the bay.

Central Bay: Located under the Main Basin and on the west edge of Long Point and east of the Long Island Area. This area contains the Anishinabe Bay and Buzzard Bay. On the north end between Anishinabe Bay and Buzzard Bay is the location of the most popular sandbar on the lake where the water gets as shallow as about a foot.

Southern Region: The southernmost extent of Big Sandy Lake contains two major bays (Goffs Bay and Davis Bay). This area is home to the Big Sandy Resort and the Sandy River. This area is generally shallower and reaches a maximum depth of about 10-15 feet.

Western Region: Fisherman's Bay and Browns Bay to the western edge of Long Island under the Main Basin. The area is also generally shallower with depths staying constant around 10-15 feet.

Culture

Big Sandy Lake was inhabited by the Dakota Sioux until they were forcibly removed by the Ojibwa. In the Ojibwa language, the lake is known as Mitaawangaagamaa, meaning "Lake with flat, sandy beaches." The lake is home to the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa who are now part of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, but have been working on regaining their independent recognition by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Minnesota DNR also owns one island in Bill Horn Bay that they preserve. In the 1800s this was the island where the Sioux women and children hid from the attacking Ojibwa.

In 1798, North West Company maintained a post on the western side of the lake; in 1830, American Fur Company established a post at the confluence of the Sandy River with the Mississippi River, a short distance west of the lake. Originally located on the north shore of Big Sandy Lake, the village of Gaa-mitaawangaagamaag was the western terminus of the Northwest Trail that connected the Mississippi River with the Saint Louis River; Savanna Portage State Park commemorating this historic trail is located on the northeastern shore.

In 1850, the United States attempted to remove the Ojibwa population out of Michigan and Wisconsin to areas west of the Mississippi River, resulting in the Sandy Lake tragedy in which several hundred natives died of disease, starvation and exposure. A memorial commemorating the Sandy Lake tragedy was established at the United States Army Corps of Engineers Sandy Lake Dam Campgrounds. Along Minnesota State Highway 65, a rest area with a view of Sandy Lake was established, enhanced with a Historical Marker plaque to commemorate the Sandy Lake tragedy.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White River (Arkansas–Missouri)</span> River in the US

The White River is a 722-mile (1,162 km) river that flows through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Missouri. Originating in the Boston Mountains of northwest Arkansas, it arcs northwards through southern Missouri before turning back into Arkansas, flowing southeast to its mouth at the Mississippi River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles Aqueduct</span> Water conveyance system in California, United States

The Los Angeles Aqueduct system, comprising the Los Angeles Aqueduct and the Second Los Angeles Aqueduct, is a water conveyance system, built and operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The Owens Valley aqueduct was designed and built by the city's water department, at the time named The Bureau of Los Angeles Aqueduct, under the supervision of the department's Chief Engineer William Mulholland. The system delivers water from the Owens River in the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains to Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fox–Wisconsin Waterway</span>

The Fox–Wisconsin Waterway is a waterway formed by the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers. First used by European settlers in 1673 during the expedition of Marquette & Joliet, it was one of the principal routes used by travelers between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River until the completion of the Illinois and Michigan Canal in 1848 and the arrival of railroads. The western terminus of the Fox–Wisconsin Waterway was at the Mississippi at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. It continued up the Wisconsin River about 116 miles (187 km) until reaching Portage, Wisconsin. There travelers would portage to the Upper Fox River, or eventually, use the Portage Canal. It continued about 160 miles (260 km) down the Fox River, following it through Lake Winnebago and continuing on the Lower Fox over 170 feet of falls to the eastern terminus of Green Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leech Lake</span> Lake in the state of Minnesota, United States

Leech Lake is a lake located in north central Minnesota, United States. It is southeast of Bemidji, located mainly within the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, and completely within the Chippewa National Forest. It is used as a reservoir. The lake is the third largest in Minnesota, covering 102,947.83 acres (416.6151 km2) with 195 miles (314 km) of shoreline and has a maximum depth of 156 feet (48 m).

Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa are a historical Ojibwa tribe located in the upper Mississippi River basin, on and around Big Sandy Lake in what today is in Aitkin County, Minnesota. Though politically folded into the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, thus no longer independently federally recognized, for decades, Sandy Lake Band members have been leading efforts to restore their independent Federal recognition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lock and Dam No. 1</span> Dam in Minnesota, United States.

Ford Dam, officially known as Lock and Dam No. 1, is on the Upper Mississippi River and is located between Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota just north of the confluence of the Mississippi with the Minnesota River at Mississippi River mile 847.9, in Minneapolis. The powerhouse portion was previously owned by the Ford Motor Company, which operated a hydroelectric power station to feed electricity to its Twin Cities Assembly Plant on the east side of the river. It was sold to Brookfield Power Co. in April 2008. The dual-lock facility and dam was built and is operated by the St. Paul district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Mississippi Valley Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lock and Dam No. 3</span> Dam in Wisconsin, United States.

Lock and Dam No. 3 is a lock and dam located near Red Wing, Minnesota on the Upper Mississippi River around river mile 796.9. It was constructed and placed in operation July 1938. The site underwent major rehabilitation from 1988 through 1991. The dam is 365 feet (111.3 m) long with 4 roller gates. More than 2,000 feet (609.6 m) of earth embankment with a series of upstream spot dikes completes the structure to create Pool 3. The lock chamber is 110 feet (33.5 m) wide by 600 feet (182.9 m) long. The lock and dam is owned and operated by the St. Paul District of the United States Army Corps of Engineers-Mississippi Valley Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lock and Dam No. 7</span> Dam in near La Crescent, Minnesota

Lock and Dam No. 7 is a lock and dam located on the Upper Mississippi River at river mile 702.5 near the cities of La Crescent, Minnesota and Onalaska, Wisconsin. It forms pool 7 and Lake Onalaska. The facility was constructed in the mid-1930s and placed in operation on April, 1937. It underwent major rehabilitation from 1989 through 2002. The lock and dam are owned and operated by the St. Paul District of the United States Army Corps of Engineers-Mississippi Valley Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banks Lake</span> Reservoir in Washington, United States

Banks Lake is a 27-mile (43 km) long reservoir in central Washington in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keechelus Lake</span> Natural lake, reservoir in Washington, U.S.

Keechelus Lake is a lake and reservoir in the northwest United States, near Hyak in Kittitas County, Washington. Approximately fifty miles (80 km) southeast of Seattle and a few miles southeast of Snoqualmie Pass, it is the source of the Yakima River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Prairie River</span> River in Minnesota, United States

The Long Prairie River is a tributary of the Crow Wing River, 96 miles (154 km) long, in central Minnesota in the United States. Via the Crow Wing River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 892 square miles (2,310 km2) in a generally rural region.

The Central Utah Project is a US federal water project that was authorized for construction under the Colorado River Storage Project Act of April 11, 1956, as a participating project. In general, the Central Utah Project develops a portion of Utah's share of the yield of the Colorado River, as set out in the Colorado River Compact of 1922.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winnibigoshish Lake Dam</span> United States historic place

The Winnibigoshish Lake Dam is a dam at the outlet of Lake Winnibigoshish into the Mississippi River in Minnesota, United States. The dam crosses the county line between Cass County and Itasca County, and lies within the Leech Lake Indian Reservation. The first dam on the site was built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers from 1881 to 1884 to regulate the flow of water on the Upper Mississippi River. A constant flow was desired by loggers, fur traders, and millers downstream at St. Anthony Falls. The current structure was built in 1899. Lake Winnibigoshish is Minnesota's fifth largest lake, at 67,000 acres (270 km2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gull Lake (Cass County, Minnesota)</span>

Gull Lake is a lake in the U.S. state of Minnesota, located in Cass County and Crow Wing County. It is one of the largest lakes in the Brainerd, Minnesota-Baxter, Minnesota area and also one of the most popular for vacationing and for recreation. Of the seven Gull Lakes in Minnesota, this Gull Lake is the largest in area and shoreline. The shoreline is highly developed with residential and commercial interests. For each shoreline mile there are 27.8 homes or cabins. There are 19 resorts on Gull Lake, including notably Cragun's, Madden's, and Grand View Lodge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hardy Dam</span> Dam in Newaygo County, Michigan

Hardy Dam is an earth-filled embankment dam and powerplant complex on the Muskegon River in Big Prairie Township, Newaygo County, Michigan. At the time of its completion, it was the largest earthen dam in North America east of the Mississippi. Its impoundment forms a lake with over 50 miles of shoreline. The dam impounds a reservoir with a surface area of 4,000 acres and its power plant has an installed capacity of 31.5 MW.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wickiup Reservoir</span> Lake in Oregon, United States

Wickiup Reservoir is the second-largest reservoir in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located 60 miles (97 km) southwest of Bend, and is the largest of the Cascade Lakes. Wickiup Reservoir is close to the Twin Lakes, Davis Lake, Crane Prairie Reservoir, Cultus Lake, and Little Cultus Lake. The reservoir is located within the Deschutes National Forest and the Fort Rock Ranger District, near the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duluth Ship Canal</span>

The Duluth Ship Canal is an artificial canal cut through Minnesota Point, providing direct access to Duluth harbor from Lake Superior. Begun privately in 1871, it was put under federal supervision and maintenance several years later. It is still an important component of the harbor facilities.

Pokegama Lake Dam is a dam in Cohasset, Itasca County, Minnesota, northwest of the city of Grand Rapids.

References