The man-made lake was formed after the site was used as a quarry for taconite mining between the mid-1960s through April 1983. The quarry produced about 850,000 tons of taconite pellets each year. The mine closed in 1983 as a result of a crash of the domestic steel markets in the United States.
The man-made lake was formed after the site served as a quarry for taconite mining from the mid-1960s until April 1983. The quarry produced around 850,000 tons of taconite pellets each year. The mine closed in 1983 because of economic pressures on the steel industry.