East Side Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids East Side Lake |
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In winter. Picture taken from the Oakland Avenue bridge over Dobbins Creek looking north-northeast.
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 East Side Lake
Location in Minnesota
East Side Lake
Location in the United States
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| Location | Austin, Minnesota |
| Coordinates | 43°40′16″N 092°57′10″W / 43.67111°N 92.95278°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Dobbins Creek |
| Primary outflows | Dobbins Creek |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 40 acres (16 ha) |
East Side Lake is a 40 acres (16.19 ha) reservoir located in Austin, Minnesota. It's found in the western part of Mower County, which is in the southeastern area of the state. A reservoir is a man-made lake, often created by building a dam to store water.
East Side Lake is special because it's one of only two man-made lakes in Mower County. The other is Lake Louise. Mower County is also one of just four counties in Minnesota that doesn't have any natural lakes. Most of East Side Lake is quite shallow, only about 5 to 6 feet deep.
Dobbins Creek: The Lake's Water Source
The main water source for East Side Lake is Dobbins Creek. This creek is also the only place where water flows out of the lake. Dobbins Creek begins its journey in Red Rock Township and then flows through a small community called Nicolville.
For many years, the water flowing into Dobbins Creek from Nicolville wasn't as clean as it should have been. This meant the creek carried unhealthy levels of certain substances into the lake. However, this problem was solved in 2010. That year, the community of Nicolville installed a special system to clean their water before it entered Dobbins Creek. This important step helped make the water much safer and healthier for East Side Lake.
