East Side Lake is a

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

in Austin,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

in western

Mower County Mower County () is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,029. The county seat is Austin. Mower County comprises the Austin Micropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the Rochester-Austin Co ...

, which is in the southeast part of the state. It is one of two man-made lakes in Mower County (the other is Lake Louise), which is one of only four counties in Minnesota without a natural lake. The majority of the lake is only 5–6 feet deep.

Dobbins Creek

The lake's only tributary and only outflow is Dobbins Creek, which starts in Red Rock Township and flows through Nicolville. For decades, untreated sewage (including feces) from the unincorporated community of Nicolville was dumped into Dobbins Creek approximately three miles (5 km) upstream from East Side Lake. Fecal bacteria were measured at up to 11 times the level allowed in surface water by state law. The town installed a sewage treatment system in 2010.

References

* Reservoirs in Minnesota Lakes of Mower County, Minnesota Austin, Minnesota {{MowerCountyMN-geo-stub