The Devils Lake outlet has been shut down for the winter, after operating for little more than a month over the course of the year.

The intake structure for the floodwater diversion project was removed last Tuesday, said Dale Frink, chief engineer for the state Water Commission.

The outlet drains lake floodwaters into the Sheyenne River and ultimately the Red River, which flows north into Canada. It operated for only 38 days this year, Frink said.

The outlet had not run since mid-August. Officials had been hoping rain would provide an influx of fresh water into the Sheyenne to lower sulfate levels, but that did not happen.

"The Sheyenne River is absolutely dormant," said Ramsey County Commissioner Joe Belford, who works for the Water Commission to raise awareness in the United States and Canada about Devils Lake flooding problems.

A state Health Department permit that governs the outlet's operation puts limits on how much the outlet can increase the sulfate level in the Sheyenne. The restriction has hampered operation of the outlet the past three years, because dry conditions and low flows in the Sheyenne River basin have elevated sulfate levels.

Sulfates are minerals that occur naturally in soils and groundwater. High levels can give water a bitter taste and cause digestive problems in people.

Since testing was completed in August 2005, the $28 million outlet has run for only about 60 days. It was shut down all of 2006.

The state Health Department in August 2006 approved changes to the permit allowing the state to operate the outlet more frequently, and a district judge upheld the change last April. But the sulfate problems have persisted.

The Canadian province of Manitoba also is challenging the relaxed standards. The matter is being reviewed by the North Dakota Supreme Court.

Devils Lake has more than tripled in size since a series of wet years that began in the early 1990s, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.