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that the cities will incur some cost to rehabilitate and maintain their current systems even with no <br /> change in source water. <br /> "Why not just pump water into White Bear Lake?" There are several reasons that transferring water <br /> directly into White Bear Lake would not be a good idea. Practically speaking,there is no guarantee that <br /> the lake would achieve and maintain the"desired"level. The lake was augmented for many years in the <br /> past and that didn't insulate it from significant water level fluctuations. Moreover,transferring water <br /> from the Mississippi River(or other source)to White Bear Lake would pose potential water quality and <br /> aquatic invasive species threats. Quite simply,in a world of finite resources,the water and money that <br /> would be needed to augment White Bear Lake could be better used to advance long-term water <br /> sustainability in the region. And finally,augmenting White Bear Lake could create expectations that the <br /> state will pay to augment other lakes where residents and others are concerned with water levels. <br /> "So what's next?" We are now working with the affected communities and the legislature to see if there <br /> is a way to implement the settlement and meet important community needs. Since signing,the <br /> agreement,the DNR has met with many community leaders. We understand that the communities that <br /> were not part of developing the agreement have important questions and vital perspectives. We further <br /> believe an essential next step is for the DNR,the communities,the Metropolitan Council,the plaintiffs, <br /> and others to share their data and insights about the water challenges facing the North and East Metro <br /> and the options for addressing them. Together,we can build a more complete picture and answer key <br /> questions about the best path forward. The legislature will require no less,and we demand this of <br /> ourselves. <br /> The DNR takes its mission to manage the state's waters very seriously. We also know that we can't be <br /> successful alone. We are committed to working with you and your community leaders to address these <br /> challenging issues. If you'd like more information on the settlement and the DNR's work in the North <br /> and East Metro,please visit the DNR website at www.mndnr.gov/awma/wbl. <br /> Sinc , <br /> (qTondwehr <br /> Commissioner <br /> Minnesota DNR <br /> 3 <br /> 26 <br />