Rising western Minnesota lake floods cabins, swamps nearby farmland

The Fourth of July was subdued this year on the shores of Big Kandiyohi Lake near Willmar, after flooding caused by heavy June rains.

This year, the annual boat parade was canceled, plans to barbecue on the beach were postponed, and some homeowners spent their holiday sandbagging against high water.

“When you have no lawn and no beach, it’s pretty hard to have a family celebration or gathering,” said Dave Peterson, association chairman for the 270 homeowners on Big Kandiyohi Lake.

The water is the highest anyone can remember at the lake, and some cabins have been totally flooded, said Peterson, 70, who lives in nearby Svea and has had a home on Big Kandiyohi since 2016.

The high waters are part of heavy rain in Kandiyohi County that has led to more than $1.4 million in damage since mid-June, said Ace Bonnema, the county’s emergency management coordinator.

The flooding in the county began after a storm on June 13, leading to a declaration of a state of emergency. Another round of rains followed on June 25.

Rainfall at Big Kandiyohi Lake in June measured 11 to 13.5 inches, according to the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network.

It’s about triple the average rainfall in June for southwest Minnesota, according to the National Weather Service in Chanhassen.

The storms damaged farms across western Minnesota, with some farmers saying they’ve lost 15% of their crops.

“There’s a lot of extra lakes in the county right now,” Yellow Medicine County Sheriff Bill Flaten said in late June.

Kandiyohi County residents affected by the flooding are invited to a resource center from 1 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Willmar Convention Center.

Agencies such as the Salvation Army and the Red Cross will be on hand.

“We’re hoping to find out from the community who has unmet needs,” Bonnema said.