The Swamp Iron Enhanced Sand Filter (IESF) is an important part of watershed nutrient reduction and preventing nutrients from reaching the downstream County Ditch 13 system, Spring Lake and Prior Lakes. The Swamp IESF is expected to filter, bind with excess nutrients, and remove 89 lbs of Phosphorus per year, and presents one of most cost-effective, and far-reaching solutions in the watershed strategy.

Maintaining and improving the critical first leg of the Prior Lake Outlet Channel.

One of the largest jobs ever undertaken by the PLSLWD was completed in May. The Prior Lake Outlet Channel (PLOC) pipe was lined using a Cured In Place Pipe (CIPP) method where no excavation along the pipe needed to be done.

On Thursday May 29 the PLSLWD Board of Directors, Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) members and District staff toured three areas of the Watershed where projects are being worked on or have been completed.

Say hello to our newest employee, Teresa Gostonczik

The 2024 Annual Report of the PLSLWD is now available.

One of the largest jobs ever undertaken by the PLSLWD was completed in May. The Prior Lake Outlet Channel (PLOC) pipe was lined using a Cured In Place Pipe (CIPP) method where no excavation along the pipe needed to be done.

On Thursday May 29 the PLSLWD Board of Directors, Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) members and District staff toured three areas of the Watershed where projects are being worked on or have been completed.

Say hello to our newest employee, Teresa Gostonczik

The 2024 Annual Report of the PLSLWD is now available.

Please note our new office hours: we are open Monday-Thursday 8:30-4:30pm, and on Friday by appointment. You can also call us at 952-447-4166 or email us at info@plslwd.org.

We accomplished a lot in 2024! Our Annual Newsletter summarizes some highlights of our activities throughout the year.

In the last couple years, we've experienced low and high water levels. The following article offers insight into the factors that contribute to our lake levels and how the PLSLWD takes steps to reduce flooding.

Since 2015, PLSLWD has been hard at work reducing the carp population in Upper Prior Lake and we've made incredible progress!

At the Minnesota Watershed Conference held in Nisswa last week, PLSLWD's Project Manager, Emily Dick, was named the 2024 Outstanding Watershed Organization Employee by BWSR (Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources), due in large part having obtained a nearly $1,000,000 grant to repair the Prior Lake Outlet Pipe which is in need of pipe lining which will maintain the pipe's life for another 50 years.. The work on the pipe will happen in 2025.

The PLSLWD along with community artist, Kimberly Boustead, hosted a Buckthorn wreath making event.

After many months of searching for funding, the District has been awarded over $850,000 in MPCA grant funding for the Prior Lake Outlet Pipelining! This project will double the lifespan and restore the capacity of Prior Lake's only "relief valve," a critical piece of infrastructure for flood relief.

The Watershed District has received a number of reports of suspected Blue-Green Algae this summer. Read the full news story for complete information about it

The Swamp Iron Enhanced Sand Filter (IESF) is an important part of watershed nutrient reduction and preventing nutrients from reaching the downstream County Ditch 13 system, Spring Lake and Prior Lakes. The Swamp IESF is expected to filter, bind with excess nutrients, and remove 89 lbs of Phosphorus per year, and presents one of most cost-effective, and far-reaching solutions in the watershed strategy.

Maintaining and improving the critical first leg of the Prior Lake Outlet Channel.

Preventing erosion on 1,300 feet of stream by reconnecting its natural floodplain.

Bank erosion repair work has been completed along the channel. Maintenance for vegetation reestablishment is an ongoing project.

The Sutton Lake Outlet project constructed a controlled outlet structure at the Sutton Lake Blvd culvert crossing to store stormwater in Sutton Lake.

Studies by the Prior Lake-Spring Lake Watershed District determined Upper Prior Lake was impaired/threatened by an excess of phosphorus and recommended that the phosphorus concentration should be reduced by to achieve water quality goals.

PLSLWD treated Spring Lake with Aluminum Sulfate (Alum) in 2013, 2018, and 2020.

The Ferric Chloride Treatment Facility is one of the District's "nutrient reduction powerhouses". Reducing nutrients reaching Spring Lake is essential for preventing algal blooms and other water quality problems.

The project enhanced a section of shoreline along Fish Lake behind the Spring Lake Township town hall and implemented a prairie restoration on the north side of the property.

The Sand Point Beach Park Pond Improvements Project improves the efficiency of stormwater treatment before it enters Prior Lake. The project includes three components: Maintenance & Expansion of the Two Existing Ponds, Iron-Enhanced Sand Filter, and Prairie Restoration.

The restoration project includes buckthorn removal, an oak savanna restoration, beach plant community restoration, shoreline restoration and replacing the existing turf grass with low-maintenance grass.

The shoreline area at Watzl’s beach was previously dominated by invasive plants and erosion was occurring at the shoreline. As such, the site was in desperate need of restoration.

The project will filter out sediments and nutrients from the stormwater that runs off properties and streets in the Indian Ridge Park neighborhood before it reaches Lower Prior Lake.

The Fish Point Park Retrofit project includes three elements: retrofitting an existing ditch section with in-line iron-sand filters, expanding storage capacity and creating wetland upstream of the ditch, and installing a new predictive control structure in the existing berm.

Shoreline restoration prevents soil erosion from entering our lake, as well as providing filtration for other pollutants. Native plants provide bank stabilization, water filtration, and habitat improvement. Three main shoreline restoration techniques were used to stabilize these areas: brush bundles, cedar revetment and native plantings with erosion control blanket.

This project consists of three components: retrofitting stormwater ponds with iron-sand filters, restoring a wetland, and managing carp.

The CR12/17 Wetland Restoration Project is an innovative stormwater treatment project intended to improve water quality in Spring Lake.

Prior Lake-Spring Lake Watershed District completed retrofit projects on the Boudin neighborhood reconstruction that previously drained untreated to Lower Prior Lake.

Normal wear and tear on the outlet structure resulted in cracking to the structure and diminishing efficiency. The outlet structure was replaced in 2010.