Illegal Dam Removed from Poplar Lake Outlet

Yesterday, residents of Little Ollie Lake armed with mauls and picks dug out the illegal concrete reinforced dam blocking canoe access between Poplar and Little Ollie Lakes. The rocks in the dam where piled to the side of the normal water channel between the two lakes and the concrete chipped out between the rocks. Six five-gallon buckets of concrete debris were removed from the site. While residents of Poplar Lake were invited to assist in removing the dam no Poplar Lake residents, accept those with land on both Poplar and Little Ollie Lakes, showed up.

According to Cliff Bentley, Minnesota DNR Hydrologist, the dam was clearly illegal and he authorized its removal. The DNR is still searching for the individual(s) who constructed the dam.
Now that the outlet has been restored to it natural conditions residents of Little Ollie Lake are hopeful then the outlet will not be tampered with again. According to the DNR it is violation of state law to remove or add any rocks to this outlet.