Prior Lake Spring Lake Watershed District
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Spring Lake

District Stocks Bluegills with Community Help

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - June 8, 2021 - News, Prior Lake, Spring Lake

In an effort to keep invasive carp populations in check, the Prior Lake-Spring Lake Watershed District (PLSLWD) has recently stocked 3,400 bluegill fish in three wetlands connected to Spring Lake and Upper Prior Lake.  Bluegills are voracious eaters with an appetite for carp eggs, and they were stocked in connected wetlands where carp have been known to spawn.

Common carp are a non-native species that can lower water quality as a result of their bottom feeding habits which stir up the muck in the lake bottom and uproot beneficial plants.  Stocking bluegills will help reduce the reproductive success of the carp and keep their numbers down in Spring and Upper Prior Lakes, contributing to cleaner, clearer water for the community to enjoy.

These stocking efforts were made possible by generous contributions from the Prior Lake Association (PLA), Spring Lake Association (SLA) and the Prior Lake Rotary Club. Members from the lake associations (see photos) were on hand during the stocking events to assist with the efforts, helping to both mark the bluegills for future surveys and to transport the fish to the wetlands, bucket by bucket.

Wesley Steffan and Kelly Charles, SLA Board members said, “We are excited that our additional funding supported goals of the PLSLWD and the Vision the SLA has for Spring Lake [to] flourish in water quality, environmental impact, natural habitat for wildlife and recreational use.”

Bluegill stocking (see photo) forms just one part of the Watershed District’s larger carp management program which uses a number of control methods in concert to reduce the carp populations.  These methods include tracking carp locations and populations, blocking carp from their spawning areas, and removing carp by netting, electrofishing, trapping, and other methods.

Adam Proehl, PLA Board President noted, “We appreciate the close working relationship the Prior Lake Association has with the watershed district and the efforts they continue to make regarding water quality and controlling the carp population.”

The Watershed District will also be stocking walleyes in Spring and Prior Lakes this fall in coordination with the DNR.  These efforts will also be supported by the generous donations by PLA, SLA and Prior Lake Rotary Club.

For more information on the District’s carp management program, visit our carp management project page.

View Full Article bluegills, carp management, fish stocking

2021 Boat Inspections Underway

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - May 20, 2021 - News, Prior Lake, Spring Lake

Boat inspections are now underway for the 2021 boating season. The District has engaged Waterfront Restorations to conduct inspections at the four public boat launches located in the District: Lower Prior, Upper Prior, Spring and Fish Lakes. These inspections will supplement DNR inspection hours at the launches.

Inspectors inspect boats for aquatic invasive species (AIS) prior to entering and after leaving the lake. The goals of inspections are to prevent the introduction of new AIS into local lakes, stop AIS already present from spreading to new lakes and educate boaters on AIS.

The District’s AIS boat inspections will supplement the Minnesota DNR’s boat inspection hours at the launches. Weekends (Friday-Sunday) will have the most inspection hours, but inspectors will also be present during the week. Inspection times are focused around predicted higher traffic times.

Boaters are reminded to always inspect their boat before and after entering a lake regardless of whether an inspector is present. You can help prevent the spread of AIS.

Once an invasive species is introduced into a lake, it is impossible to eradicate and reducing or managing the growth of established aquatic invasive species is often very expensive. Prevention or early detection is an important component to effectively managing AIS.

Currently known AIS present in Prior Lake are zebra mussels, curlyleaf pondweed and Eurasian watermilfoil and curlyleaf pondweed in Spring Lake.

View Full Article

What was the Watershed up to in 2020?

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - May 13, 2021 - News, Prior Lake, Spring Lake

Wondering what the Watershed did in 2020?

Everything from carp management and alum treatments on Spring & Upper Prior Lake and celebrating our 50th anniversary to monitoring the water quality in District lakes & streams and working with farmers to improve their operations and project water quality!

For more, check out our 2020 Annual Report here. You can find past year’s reports on the District Plans & Reports page under the About tab.

View Full Article

How was lake water quality in 2020?

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - December 26, 2020 - News, Prior Lake, Spring Lake

In a bright spot of 2020, both Spring and Prior Lakes saw improved water quality this year which was a boon to everyone who swarmed to the lake this summer for swimming, fishing and boating. This year marked the first time that all three water quality standards – the goal for a healthy lake – were met on either Spring Lake or Upper Prior Lake.

In the graphs shown below you can see how the levels for each of three water quality parameters have generally improved over time for each lake. The dashed lines show the water quality standards – the goal to meet for good water quality.

Water clarity (Secchi disk depth), total phosphorus concentration and chlorophyll-a concentration are the main standards used by View Full Article →

View Full Article Prior Lake, Spring Lake, Upper Prior, Upper Prior Lake, Water quality, alum, alum treatment, phosphorus, spring

Winter Maintenance Workshop for Residents: Watch on Demand Now

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - December 22, 2020 - News, Prior Lake, Spring Lake

The Winter Maintenance Workshop for homeowners was last week, but don’t worry if you missed it because it’s now available online. You can watch it on the Scott SWCD’s YouTube channel here!

Salt smartly this winter. Did you know it only takes 1 teaspoon of salt to permanently pollute 5 gallons of water? Winter salt use is a major contributor to salt pollution in our freshwater lakes and streams. The good news is simple winter maintenance strategies can protect local freshwater from salt pollution.

Learn how to save money, reduce your salt use and protect your property from salt damage while keeping your driveway clear and lakes & streams clean!

View Full Article chloride pollution, chlorides, homeowner, resident, salt, winter, winter maintenance, workshop
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Prior Lake – Spring Lake Watershed District

The District covers about 42 square miles in Scott County, MN. Water in the PLSLWD flows mainly from the southwest to the northeast through Spring, Upper Prior and Lower Prior Lakes, and then north through the Prior Lake Outlet Channel to the Minnesota River near Valley Fair amusement park.
Clean Water Land & Legacy Amendment

Prior Lake - Spring Lake Watershed District
4646 Dakota Street SE
Prior Lake, MN 55372

Phone: (952) 447-4166
Email: info@plslwd.org

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