Before boaters cast off into Fountain Lake for fishing, water skiing and other recreation, there’s a new Web site they can view to see the lake conditions: www.albertlealakes.com.

“It’s the one spot people can go to 24/7 anywhere in the world, and they can see if the lake is open, closed due to high water, if there’s issues out on the waters,” said Matt Levorson, water patrol deputy for the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office.

Levorson decides whether or not to close the lakes. A closed lake means no wakes from boats are allowed. When analyzing the lake conditions, Levorson said he looks at Katherine Island and the drainage pipes by Edgewater Bay, but he also looks at docks, boat houses and boat landings.

The current condition of Fountain Lake is listed in the top right corner of the Web page. It’s currently listed as “open for public use.”

Levorson can change the status in case of high water levels or debris in the lakes, though he said most of that work is for Fountain Lake.

While he calls the Tribune and local radio stations for such occurrences, he said the Web site is a place people can check at their leisure.

“It’s just another avenue of communication between myself and the public,” Levorson said.

“It’s kind of a central place people can go. They can see if the lake’s open or closed. They can get their safety information,” he added.

Levorson suggested people check the site whenever there’s doubt about whether the lake is open, especially after heavy rains or in the spring and fall. He said people can check the site occasionally during dry spells to see if there’s debris in the lake.

Freeborn County Sheriff Mark Harig gave Levorson clearance to start the Web site, but Levorson said the site is not affiliated with the Sheriff’s Office. The county does not pay for the site.

Levorson works in Web design and video production through Matt Levorson Productions. So Levorson has the equipment and knowledge to build the site, and he can host the site from his own server.

“It’s a good spot where they can communicate with me directly, because I don’t have a Web page on the county site for, specifically, water patrol. This way, I have control over it and I can update it,” Levorson said.

On the water patrol page, there’s a box that people can fill out to send their questions directly to Levorson.

On one page, people can download the current boating guide, and there’s also a link to an online safety course. Another page includes DNR statistics.

The site also provides safety information and tips for the Fourth of July, and there’s a page for frequently asked questions.

Levorson built the site last summer, but he said few people knew about it, partially because he was trying to determine the most beneficial use of the site. The Web site for the Hennepin County Water Patrol served as inspiration.

A Facebook fan page could soon join www.albertlealakes.com. Levorson said Web sites like Facebook and Twitter could serve as tools to communicate with citizens when there is no wake on the lake.

“More open communication between law enforcement and the general public is good, especially something like this where they can go on there — they can check it,” Levorson said.