October 2016 - LLWA Fall Meeting Minutes
MEETING MINUTES
Attendees:
Paul Habegger
Chuck Grothaus
Jessica Schaum, City of Apple Valley
Jane Byron, City of Apple Valley
Thank Yous
Successful Night to Unite in August. Special thanks to Dan and Laura Linser for providing hotdogs and grill, and to Christy and Randy McGlocklin for co-hosting the event. Next year, we will strive to get a city official (mayor, council member), police, fire department to attend.
Linsers also did the “Dump no waste. Drains to lake” stenciling on the storm drains in the neighborhood, so additional thanks for doing this. The stencils and paint are available from the city along with educational door hangers, gloves, safety goggles and vests and a map of the areas that need to be stenciled.
City of Apple Valley Report
Chemical treatment process and results – final late season plant survey data will be available in December. Chemical treatment did what was intended. Treated nearly 14% of lake surface area (4.32 acres). Visually, the curly leaf died out in treated areas. Each year is influenced by weather, snow, ice thickness, etc. 2015/16 was a mild winter. The process takes time and no one has ever successfully removed curly leaf 100%. In 2017, city will monitor curly leaf and continue to do so over 5- to 10-year period to develop a trend line.
Iron enhanced sand filters – A new filter installed near to EVR-P8 (near Moeller Park) will likely have a more significant result than the Long Lake Park filter. A reduction of 40 pounds of phosphorous per year and will help reduce phosphorous going to downstream ponds (Pilot Pond and Long Lake). Filter will go online when vegetation is stabilized (November/December). A vegetation maintenance contractor will work on the plants in and around the Long Lake Park sand filters, mowing and removing some thistle and weeds as well as spot spraying other problem plants and supplemental seeding for native plants. This will continue through 2018 with a focus on native plants.
For 2nd consecutive year, grass clippings/yard waste was dumped near the Long Lake Park filter. Reminder: Residents are not allowed to dump grass clippings and yard waste in or around the sand filters. If anyone sees this happening, contact City of Apple Valley Code Enforcement officer at 952-953-2571, or the City of Apple Valley Police Department.
10-Year Implementation Plan: Chose EOR Consulting (limnology and TMDL experts) to assist with the plan development. Proposal is approved and won’t require city council approval. City has money in place and first stakeholder meeting will be first week of December. Attendees of Technical Advisory Committee will include representatives from Long Lake and Farquar residents, and officials from Dakota County, Conservation District, Vermillion, PCA, DNR, Board of Water and Soil, and City engineers. The plan will identify future projects and sequencing. The advisory committee will work with City to incorporate projects into plans going forward. The City will determine feasibility of the overall Implementation Plan, which will include the best/most feasible ideas from the process and will be our basis for many projects moving forward. Consultant will review existing data prior to first meeting. Goal is to finish 10-year plan by Spring 2017. The EOR and tech advisory committee will help determine future draw downs, chemical treatment recommendations and other projects to continue water improvement projects.
Proposed alum treatments of Pilot and Everest Ponds: City did not apply alum in 2016. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency was concerned about frequency of alum/chemicals added to ponds. In fall 2016, ph of ponds was lower (ph between 6 and 7). Alum lowers pH further, and pH levels below 6 cause the aluminum in alum to become toxic to fish and macro invertebrates. The total phosphorus summer average was above the state standard of 90 ppb but below 150 ppb (parts per billion), the city’s level of concern. Higher phosphorus levels this summer could have been because of construction project upstream.
Pilot Pond enjoyed a lasting effect from alum treatment completed in 2015 – 88 ppb and good clarity in water, meeting state standard.
Volunteer Opportunities: If residents are interested, please contact Jane Byron.
LLWA residents may check out stencil kits for storm drains in the neighborhoods. Stencils last about two years.
Joan Kettelkamp continues to collect water samples from Long Lake. These samples are used by state to determine if lake is on or off the impaired list. Joan will also be monitoring for zebra mussels on the lake.
Community Cleanups – storm drain awareness/storm grate cleanups. City will provide leaf bags, latex gloves, safety vests, maps.
Buckthorn and thistle removal at enhanced sand filters and public rain gardens is encouraged. City provides buckthorn pullers, herbicide, latex gloves, goggles, vests.
Landscaping for Cleanwater Workshops at Government Center – grant programs exist for rain gardens, native plant gardens, shoreline planting, etc. Schedule for Feb. 16 and April 10, 2017. Experts provide design assistance and technical help and do spot checks. Grants can be piggy-backed with City of Apple Valley grants.
City is open to other ideas on conservation, cleanup, etc. around lakes and ponds.
Chemical Treatment Process
Positives: We were able to get it done. It wasn’t expensive/within budget. The neighborhood residents chipped in. Non-intrusive process. City was prepared with spots identified for treatment. We were successful in getting residents to help pay.
What Could Be Done Differently Next Time:
There was some confusion with contractor that had to be worked out regarding which homes to treat. In future, if City could handle public areas and residents manage their own shoreline treatment that would be best.
Focus of future treatments should be on the concentrated areas/density of curly leaf -- treating the most severe areas. Focusing on maximizing treatment area (15%) not as necessary as first thought.
Next Steps/Other Topics
Try to apply for grants for chemical treatments early in 2017.
Take action on 10-year plan – once plan is in place
Lake drainage for fall 2017 – City is planning to do drawdown in 2017, which tries to mimic natural drought cycles. In dry years, the lake would naturally draw down about twice every 10 years. There may be special circumstances on doing drawdown two years in a row, but in general it would never happen every year. Draw down is one tool in the toolkit. Will determine next drawdown after technical advisory committee creates full study and new 10-year plan. Drawdowns are used to manage Curlyleaf and fish populations.
Dakota County will be doing a big push on invasive species education in 2017. Handouts and materials available. County may also have some financial resources to assist with projects; they are still developing their program.
Jane Byron collects monthly water clarity results and total phosphorous results in addition to those collected by Joan Kettelkamp. Long Lake results at 120 ppb (standard is 90 ppb). Results from samples collected by Joan Kettelkamp will not be available until spring of 2017 and may shift averages up or down. When compared with previous years, when it’s a bad year, it’s not as bad as in the past, and when results show it’s a good year, it’s usually better than past. Expect fluctuations to occur. We are doing well based on projects we’ve been able to complete.
