Sign up now! Fall Clean Water Clean-Up is Oct 28th

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - October 11, 2018 - News

Join us for the Fall 2018 Clean Water Clean-Up! The fall clean-up will be Sunday, October 28th from 9:00 – 11:30 am at Sand Point Beach Park in Prior Lake. We will be raking leaves at the park so make sure to bring your own rake! Volunteers will receive a bandanna & snacks and be entered to win door prizes from local businesses. Please register here for this free, family-friendly event.

In case of inclement weather, the clean-up will be rescheduled for the following Sunday on November 4th. If the event needs to be rescheduled it will be posted on our website.

During the Fall 2017 clean-up, volunteers raked, blew and piled 1200 pounds of leaves and removed 880 pounds of buckthorn! Check out our Facebook page for pictures from past events!

Questions? Email Kathryn at kkeller-miller@plslwd.org or call the District office at 952-447-4166.

Can’t make the fall event? Join us for our Spring Clean-Up. Email kkeller-miller@plslwd.org to be added to the notification list.

View Full Article CWCU, Sand Point, Sand Point Beach, clean up, clean water clean up, event, volunteer, volunteer event

Board Meetings Now Broadcast Live on Local Cable Channels

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - October 11, 2018 - News

Good news! You can now cozy up on your couch and watch PLSLWD Board meetings broadcast live on local cable TV channels. Broadcasts can be viewed on Mediacom Channel 808 and on Integra Channel 15. If you miss the live broadcast, you can always tune in to a rebroadcast of the meeting. The rebroadcast schedule can be found here.

District Board meetings are always held at 6:00 pm on second Tuesday of the month at Prior Lake City Hall and are open to the public.

View Full Article Board meeting, TV, live broadcast

Crystal Bay Obstruction Removal – Preps Way for Future Carp Seines

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - October 8, 2018 - News, Carp Management, Prior Lake

Due to a last minute schedule change, the Prior Lake-Spring Lake Watershed District has an opportunity to remove some obstructions on the bottom of Crystal Bay TODAY (Oct 8th) in anticipation of a future carp seine (removal) at this location. The District has seen carp group up in this bay multiple times over the last three years, but obstructions on the bottom have prevented any efforts to remove them. The planned obstruction removals for later today will help the District take advantage of the carps’ migratory behavior and aggregations in this bay, and will advance the carp management plan for Prior Lake.

What will be happening?

Jeff Riedemann, the commercial fisherman engaged for this project, will be running a chain along the bottom of the bay, concentrating on the southwest side where carp have grouped up in the past. When they hit a “snag”, they will be pulling the obstruction up and moving it to a different location in the bay that is further away from the potential seine area.

Will any tree branches or debris be removed from the lake?
Since there are zebra mussels (an invasive species) in Prior Lake, the debris will not be removed from the lake to minimize any risk of moving this species to uninfested waters. Leaving woody debris on the bottom of the lake is also beneficial to macroinvertebrates and fish.

Are carp going to be removed from the lake today?

At this time, we do not anticipate that any carp will be removed during the obstruction removals. However, if a large congregation of carp are present in the bay, the commercial fisherman may temporarily trap them with nets in the location to hold them there until preparations can be made for their removal.

What are the next steps for this project?

With Crystal Bay cleared of obstructions, this provides the District with another potential area to seine (remove) carp in Prior Lake. Later this fall and winter, the District will take opportunities as they arise to remove additional carp from Prior Lake. These efforts are part of a comprehensive approach to manage carp populations. More information can be found by clicking here: Integrated Pest Management Plan for Carp.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or check out our carp management website page at: https://www.plslwd.org/projects-and-programs/projects/carp-management/.

View Full Article Crystal Bay, Mud Bay, Prior Lake, Upper Prior, carp, carp seine

Residents Identify Water Resources Issues at 1st Public Mtg for 2020 Mgmt Plan

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - October 8, 2018 - News, Prior Lake, Spring Lake

We received many great comments and feedback from residents at the first Public Meeting for the 2020 Management Plan, held October 4, 2018 at Prior Lake City Hall. The purpose of the meeting was for members of the public to identify issues of concern related to the water resources within the watershed district.

Attendees learned about the 2020 Management Plan development process and provided feedback on water resources issues of concern and priority areas identified following evaluation of natural resources data layers. A wide array of residents attended and we received a lot of helpful feedback from attendees. For a copy of the presentation slides, click here.

The 2020 Water Resources Management Plan will outline the District’s work for the next 10 years (2020-2029) and provide a road map for the District’s projects and programs over the next decade.

View Full Article 2020, 2020 Plan, Issues Identification, Management Plan, WRMP, public meeting

Successful Grand Opening Event at Sand Point Beach

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - October 5, 2018 - News, Prior Lake

Many thanks to those who were at the Sand Point Beach Park Clean Water Project Grand Opening yesterday! It was a huge success & it was awesome to see so many smiling faces and helping hands.

Several groups helped ‘Plant the Prairie’ groups including: Jr. Naturalists, Boy Scouts and a Robotic’s Team, along with other volunteers. The native prairie plants have deep roots which absorb excess nutrients and provide erosion control. Thank you to all who helped and were willing to get their hands dirty!

The night followed with caramel apples, a wonderful explanation of the project and a ceremonial ribbon cutting with Prior Lake Mayor Kirt Briggs and PLSLWD Board Manager Curt Hennes. The weather held off and we couldn’t have asked for a better evening! Check out our Facebook page for some great photos from the event.

View Full Article Lower Prior, Prior Lake, Sand Point, Sand Point Beach