Long before European settlers came to the area, local Native Americans fondly referred to Devils Lake as “Mníwakháŋ,” meaning water with energy, or “Spirit Lake,” but European settlers incorrectly interpreted wakháŋ, or spirit, to mean Devil. The Devils Lake Basin is a 3,810 square mile sub-basin of the Red River of the North. At water levels below 1458 feet above mean sea level, the lake has no natural outlet, like a wash basin with no drain. Historically, water enters through direct precipitation and run-off and leaves through evaporation. Since glaciation, Devils Lake has fluctuated from overflowing to completely dry, a normal condition reflecting longer-term climate patterns. In 1867, the lake was near an elevation of 1438 feet above mean sea level. Due to dry conditions, it steadily declined to a low of 1400.9 feet above mean sea level in 1940, when it covered less than 9,000 acres. The lake then steadily rose from 1940 to 1993, reaching an elevation of 1422.6 feet in 1993 and covering approximately 44,000 acres. A wet cycle beginning in 1993 filled the lake nearly 32 feet to an elevation of 1454.3 feet above mean sea level in 2011. During this period, the lake more than quadrupled in size and covered over 205,000 acres. At its spill elevation, Devils Lake would cover more than 261,000 acres.