Devils Lake ND, where I grew up, derives its name from the Indian name Miniwakan, which means "Bad Water" - undoubtedly a description of the lake's brackish water. Early explorers incorrectly translated the word to mean "Bad Spirit" which was bolstered by legends of drowned warriors -- from there it was an easy transition to Devils Lake.
The lake is spring-fed but has no natural outlet; for the last several years the lake has been rising, flooding farmland and nearby farm communities. There is talk of the town itself (pop. ~7500) being threatened in the coming years if relief in the form of diversion (or drought) isn't forthcoming. Bad spirits indeed.
update: I neglected to mention that one of the farm communities threatened by the rising waters is the community of Minnewaukan (see above). here is a link that shows some pictures:
http://www.minnewaukan.com/flood.htm
