The only Lake Cuyuna in the United States will soon exist in Crow Wing County, pending official state and federal approval.
The Crow Wing County Board held a public hearing at its meeting Tuesday to address a petition to change the name of Mud Lake in Wolford and Rabbit Lake Townships and the city of Cuyuna. The lake in question, which feeds into Clinker Lake and Rabbit Lake, is one of more than 200 Mud Lakes in the state, according to Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officials.
Residents have referred to it as "Lake Cuyuna" or "Cuyuna Lake" for more than 15 years. The unofficial nickname is also incorporated into the name of the local lake association, the Rabbit-Carlson-Clinker-Cuyuna (RCCC) Lakeshore Owners Association.
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More than 200 'Mud Lakes' in Minnesota
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Four lakes in Wolford Township are named 'Mud Lake'
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The board heard from resident Karen Wilson, who lives on the lake and collected signatures to support the name change.
"People were surprised when they signed the petition, because they thought it was named Cuyuna Lake," she said.
Wilson said there are several homes for sale on the lake and the proposed name might sound more attractive to buyers than Mud Lake, which is one of four in Wolford Township of the same name.
"I think it's a wonderful environmental lake and it deserves a name," she said.
Pete Boulay, DNR climatologist, told the board he searched a federal database and was unable to find another Lake Cuyuna in the country.
"In the end, our goal is to have one name for one feature," he said. "Being that there's over 200 Mud Lakes in Minnesota, if we lose another Mud Lake, that wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen."
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In an Aug. 26 letter, the DNR expressed support for the name change. Boulay said state statute designates DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr to serve as the Minnesota representative to the United States Board on Geographic Names, a division of the U.S. Geological Survey, which will issue ultimate approval of a name change.
County Commissioner Paul Thiede asked County Attorney Don Ryan whether the county would incur printing costs to reprint maps that reflect the new name.
"Legally, Crow Wing County doesn't have any obligation to change maps," Ryan said.
The county will not pay anything as a result of the name change, he added, as the board agreed at its Aug. 12 meeting to require the petitioners to cover costs associated with administration and public notice publication. The RCCC Lakeshore Owners Association will pay the county $500 for these costs, Ryan said.
At the conclusion of the public hearing, the board voted unanimously to change the name of Mud Lake to Lake Cuyuna.
CHELSEY PERKINS may be reached at 855-5874 or chelsey.perkins@brainerddispatch.com . Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchChelsey .
