September 8, 2003- The national weather service declares a drought for the region with rainfall amounts far below normal. The park also reflects the current conditions. The ballfield and road are nearly back to normal although the outfield has grass several feet high that has grown in a swampy condition over the summer.
August 3, 2003 View

June 27, 2003-The main access road is dry, pumped down for the Summer Celebration. The venture is successful in spite of rains of 4 inches in the preceding days. The celebration and fireworks display based in the ballfield goes on successfully, but the field is wet. With the pumps removed the water level rises 1-1/2 inches immediately. At Shepard's Crossing, (Krueger's Auto Repair) Jim Krueger reports ground water levels have declined on his measuring stick from the previous year by 1-1/2 feet.

June 15, 2003- The rainfall has eased a bit and so has the water level. But with "normal" or previous ground water levels this area would have been dried out by now. But the water level remains consistently high and algae has now formed on the surface.

May 25, 2003-The water was higher last fall but this level has ruined much of the utility of the park. Area rivers are very high but are mostly within their banks.

May 25, east of the school house building. An eastward view of the park road.

April 26, 2003-The first half of April and the winter months before were relatively dry with only a few notable snow falls. Spring melt passed by without much of a problem. But April showers began towards the end of the month.

The high water has generated legal action between the village and a Deer Park resident. Pictured is the resident's backyard in April.

January 11, 2003-Skating rink costs were very low with flooding provided by nature.

December 7, 2002-A minimum of snow had fallen by the beginning of December and the water level was temporarily frozen in place.

October 27, 2002-The rains of September had ended but levels continued to rise. Town Lake, just across the road, reached the edge of highway 46.

Shown is a view of Town Lake looking towards the southwest threatening highway 46 in October.

October 27, 2002- Did the pump work or did the ground water level just go down on it's own later on?

September 8, 2002- Heavy rains had just fallen and by September 8, 2002 all the area rivers were literally roaring. But a similar situation during the spring of 2001 had little effect on the Deer Park area. Black Brook Dam was threatened on April 26, 2001 and the Woodley and Kennedy Dams north of Amery were heavily damaged by high water. The St. Croix River had a water flow rate 10 times the normal and the Stillwater Bridge was closed for weeks. But was this the beginning of the problem brewing below the surface at Deer Park? In May of 2003 Shell Lake has made the national news with flooding.

The Deer Park area has a sand and gravel base causing ground water levels to react more quickly to rainfall. The sub-surface water level was increasing from 1960 through the late 1970's when measurements, near the present day Deer's Food Locker, were suspended.