Think what you do in your yard doesn’t affect the lake? Think again.
Your property has a lakeshore connection and what you do on your property affects how clean your lake is for you and plants and wildlife with whom you share the lake.
The good news? You can help make your lake cleaner and healthier. Start with your shoreline and yard.
Carp beware! The installation of the new carp barrier and maintenance deck for the District’s ferric chloride weir is now complete. The new structure will prevent carp from accessing the upstream Geis wetland for spawning, includes safety improvements for staff that will allow for easier maintenance. The new barrier replaces an older barrier which was no longer functioning well and was more challenging to maintain.
The photo below shows the downstream side of the ferric weir with the carp barriers in place. The angled tines of the carp can be temporarily lowered to dislodge any debris caught by the grates.
Common carp are a non-native invasive species from Eurasia which are currently found in many District lakes and associated wetlands. Common carp compete with native species and their bottom-feeding habits stir up sediment, reducing water quality and uprooting beneficial aquatic plants in our lakes. The District has a comprehensive carp management program which seeks to control the carp populations in District lakes and wetlands to levels and bring the populations below levels which harm the lakes. For more information on our carp program, visit the project page here.
The ferric chloride facility treats water from the County Ditch 13 system before it enters Spring Lake. Spring Lake is impaired for excess levels of phosphorus and the ferric chloride system removes phosphorus before it reaches the lake. Ferric chloride binds with phosphorus which makes it unavailable to algae. For a video tour of the ferric chloride system, visit our YouTube page here.
For more information on the ferric chloride facility, visit the project’s page on our website.
FeCl, carp, carp barrier, ferric chlorideHave you taken the Hike the Watershed Challenge yet? The local newspapers have picked up on the fun and published an article written by Christine Schuster highlighting the challenge!
“Residents are invited to experience local natural areas in a new ways in celebration of the Prior Lake-Spring Lake Watershed District’s 50th Anniversary this summer.
The “Hike the Watershed” challenge highlights local parks and smaller lakes in the watershed, while also providing an opportunity to learn more about the district’s restoration projects.”
Check out the rest of the article online here!
Looking to add pollinator habitat to your yard? Did you miss the presentation last week with information for landowners on the Lawns to Legumes program? The short webinar is now available for viewing online! Learn what about the Lawns to Legumes program and how you can participate and receive funds to add pollinator habitat to your yard.
Applications for the Scott County Lawns to Legumes program are now active until September 1st. Applications and program details available on the Scott SWCD website.
Lawns to Legumes, Scott SWCD, bees, habitat, pollinator habitat, pollinators
The Planting Native Prairie webinar was held 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!
Learn how you can see your lawn transformed native flowers, and support pollinators and Minnesota wildlife! The Scott Soil & Water Conservation District and PLSLWD hosted a free Native Prairie workshop via webinar to teach you how. Learn about site preparation, how to get your planting started, receive maintenance tips and find out more about possible funding!
Do your part to support pollinators, protect local water quality and see how you can enrich your landscape. You don’t need a large property to add native plants for pollinators. Cost-share funding is available to Scott County residents for add native prairie to your property. Contact the Scott SWCD for more information at 952-492-5425.
native prairie, workshop