Prior Lake Spring Lake Watershed District
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Rss
info@plslwd.org
952-447-4166
  • Home
  • About 
    • District Overview
    • District Background
    • Meetings
      • Meetings
      • Board Materials, Meeting Minutes & Video Recordings
      • Citizen Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • District Plans & Reports
    • MS4 Application & SWPPP
    • District Press
    • Maps
    • Partners
    • Employment Opportunities
  • Waterbodies
    • Arctic Lake
    • Buck Lake
    • Cates Lake
    • Crystal Lake
    • Fish Lake
    • Haas Lake
    • Jeffers Pond
    • Pike Lake
    • Prior Lake, Lower
    • Prior Lake, Upper
    • Prior Lake Outlet Channel
      • Prior Lake Outlet Channel (PLOC)
      • Outlet Structure
      • FEMA Repairs
      • Prior Lake Outlet System Reports
    • Rice Lake
    • Spring Lake
    • Sutton Lake
    • Swamp Lake
  • Projects and Programs 
    • Projects
      • Alum Treatments
      • Carp Management
        • Carp Management
        • Carp Removal UPDATES
        • Carp Volunteer Opportunities
      • Ferric Chloride Treatment Facility
      • Fish Lake Shoreline & Prairie Restoration Project
      • CR 12/17 Wetland Restoration
      • Lower Prior Lake Protection Projects
        • Fish Point Park Retrofits
        • Sand Point Beach Park Project
        • Indian Ridge Water Quality Improvement
        • Watzl’s Beach Shoreline Restoration
      • Raymond Park Restoration Project
      • Spring Lake Shoreline Restoration
      • Sutton Lake Stormwater Storage Project
    • Monitoring
      • Stream Monitoring
      • Lake Monitoring
      • Precipitation
    • Rules and Permitting
    • 2020 Water Resources Management Plan
  • News & Events
  • Learn More
    • Home and Yard
    • Shoreline
    • Boating
    • Ponds & Wetlands
    • Agriculture
    • Fact Sheets
  • Get Involved!
    • 50th Anniversary of the District
    • Calendar
    • Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC)
    • Farmer-Led Council (FLC)
      • FARMER-LED COUNCIL EVENTS
      • FLC Cost-Share Opportunities
      • Cover Crop Initiative
      • Lake-Friendly Farm Program
    • Volunteer Opportunities
      • Volunteer Events
      • Monitoring Opportunities
      • Carp Volunteer Opportunities
    • Cost Share – Fund Your Project
    • Training & Workshops
  • Contact
    • Board Members
    • Staff
Search our website...

Posts tagged "Lake"

Upper Prior Alum Treatment Update

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - June 1, 2020 - News, Prior Lake

The alum treatment on Upper Prior is progressing well and may be completed by as soon as Wednesday. The HAB crew has had some curious onlookers asking about the application technology they use on the barge and why we are so careful with the placement of alum. These are great questions and we have some excerpts of answers from the Upper Prior alum treatment website below.

Precise Alum Application

The key to a successful alum application is the formation of the floc and the precise placement of the floc on the lakebed. The floc is formed when the liquid alum mixes with lake water immediately after application. It is a whitish-green precipitant, is more dense than water and sinks through the water column at a rate of 1 foot every 2.5 minutes. Once it reaches the bottom, the floc’s active binding sites are in place to intercept phosphorus as it leaches from the lakebed.

Cloudy floc from alum as it is being appliedThe alum is injected a little ways under the surface of the lake. This setup effectively injects a stream of alum that flash mixes with lake water below the surface. Floc immediately forms at a depth of 2-3 feet. Forming the floc below the lake surface bypasses any interference in settling by avoiding the surface tension of the water and algal scums on the surface. It also forms the floc at a depth where it is less susceptible to wave action.

The application of alum from the barge is synced with an onboard computer and GPS system which ensures that there are no gaps in alum application. For more details check out the “Precise Alum Application” article on the Upper Prior Lake Alum Treatment website.

Lake Testing Ongoing During Treatment

District staff and HAB (our alum applicators) continue to test the lake every day during treatment to ensure the application is going to plan and nothing has gone awry. Testing ensures that the lake maintains proper pH levels and so far everything has been going smoothly and no problems have been detected.

View Full Article Lake, Upper Prior, Upper Prior Lake, alum, alum treatment

Shorts Family Stabilizes their Prior Lake Shoreline with Long Roots of Native Plants

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - September 13, 2018 - News, Prior Lake, Spring Lake

Article written by Scott SWCD staff.

Once the water receded after the flooding in 2014, Chris Short went out to survey the damage in his backyard.  It was worse than he expected.  The retaining wall that was installed in 1990 to keep the shoreline in place, was now sitting in a heap on the edge of Prior Lake. The photo at right was taken in August 2016.

The high-water levels during the 2014 flood caused the wall to collapse, leaving the bank completely exposed.  The edge of the lawn that had been against the wall was now breaking off in chunks and falling into the lake.  He knew he needed to take action because the erosion was not going to stop on its own.  Chris did not necessarily like the idea of putting in another retaining wall because the last one failed when it was needed most.

Chris wanted something that would look nice and require minimal maintenance, plus stand up to flooding, wave action, and overland flow.   After asking around to see who could help him with his shoreline, Chris was directed to the Scott Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) in Jordan.  He attended a free shoreline stabilization workshop they held in the fall of 2016 and began to work with Scott SWCD employee Todd Kavitz.

Todd proposed reshaping the shoreline to make it less steep, then planting the area to native plants.  Native plants have very long roots, which make them great shoreline stabilizers because those roots hold the soil in place.  Plus, once established, native plantings have beautiful flowers and are great wildlife habitat.  Chris liked the idea because it would “create a natural setting while helping to clean up Prior Lake.”  The Scott SWCD worked with Chris to create a design for the shoreline that would work for him and fix his erosion problem.

Scott SWCD assisted Chris in applying for cost-share for 75% of the cost of the shoreline stabilization project, which he received.

The cost-share funds were made available by the Prior Lake Spring Lake Watershed District.

Because of the technical and financial help Chris received, he was able to naturally stabilize his shoreline. The photo at left was taken August 2018. The area was regraded and planted to native seeds in June of 2017.  This spring 72 native plant plugs were added near the bottom of the shoreline for additional stabilization.  Native plantings take a few years to get established, and just over a year has passed since Chris seeded his shoreline.  Chris has had to do some work on his shoreline this summer, including clipping the planting down before the weeds in the planting went to seed.  With a few more years of maintenance, the shoreline will become even more beautiful and will continue to stabilize the shoreline for years to come.  For Chris, putting in a native shoreline is worth it because the native plants are good for the lake and he gets to see the flowers in bloom.

If you live on a lake and would like to create a more natural shoreline, contact the Scott SWCD at 952-492-5425.  They can help you design a native shoreline that works for you, and financial assistance may be available.  You can do your part for water quality and beautify your shoreline!

View Full Article Lake, Prior Lake, lakeshore, long roots, native, native plants, restoration, shoreline, stabilize

Spring Lake Fish Kill – Updated 9/19/18

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - August 30, 2018 - News, Spring Lake

UPDATE 9/19/2018:

The MN DNR took fish samples from the fish kill to run tests to investigate potential causes of the fish kill. Initial findings noted gill necrosis and a heavy load of flavobacteria which is consistent with fish who have Columnaris disease. The DNR is still doing other tests to confirm. Columnaris disease is caused by a bacteria that is constantly present in fish populations, but does not typically cause death except when fish are stressed, such as during spring spawning season.

UPDATE 9/6/2018:

District staff collected dissolved oxygen readings from Spring Lake yesterday, 9/5/18.  The results show that oxygen levels have increased significantly from last week.  Dissolved oxygen was 8.5 mg/L on the top 6 meters of the lake and the bottom 4 meters were anoxic, or without sufficient oxygen.  On August 28, dissolved oxygen levels were 5.7 mg/L on the top 4 meters of the lake, which is near the minimum required level for a healthy fish population and the bottom 6 meters of the lake were anoxic.  Both of these samples were taken in the afternoon, when dissolved oxygen levels are the highest due to photosynthesis, so oxygen levels likely dipped below this at night.

DNR staff collected fish samples on 9/5/18, which will be tested for disease. Results of these tests will take at least a week.

A dumpster, donated by Buckingham Companies, will be placed at the Spring Lake boat launch today by 5pm for fish disposal only and the Organics Recycling Facility at Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community will dispose of the fish at no cost. Please put ONLY fish (no plastic bags) in the dumpster.

———————————————————————————————————–

The District has received several reports from residents of a fish kill on Spring Lake. According to MN DNR Fisheries staff, the fish kill is likely a result of late summer lake conditions and weather. Low oxygen conditions are the most likely culprit that is causing the fish to die. During this time of the year, there is a high biological demand for oxygen in the lake, as many fish and other organisms are active and consuming oxygen, so competition for oxygen is high in the lake. Different fish species have varying oxygen needs and tolerance of low oxygen levels.  Samples taken on August 28 revealed dissolved oxygen levels around 5 mg/l on the top half of the lake, which is the minimum level required for a healthy fish population.  The bottom half of the lake was considered anoxic, or without oxygen.

After having quite a long period with no rain and hot weather, and then getting quite a bit of rain over the last week or so rain. That rainwater was colder than the lake water and because colder water is more dense, the rainwater sunk to the bottom of the lake, displacing the oxygen-poor water which was previously at the lake bottom. As the oxygen-poor water moved upwards, some fish could have been caught in the oxygen starved water, causing them to receive an insufficient amount of oxygen and die. Some deoxygenated water from surrounding wetlands may also have been pushed into the lake causing the dissolved oxygen (DO) levels to be lowered. There are a couple factors that could have caused the low DO levels, but hopefully with cooler temperatures and wind, the lake DO levels will increase.

Based on resident reports, only crappies have been found in the fish kill on Spring Lake. Consequently, it is unlikely that the kill was caused by a toxic spill, as a toxic spill would have affected all fish species. The current Spring Lake fish kill is most likely a result of natural causes due to low oxygen levels stemming from late summer lake conditions and weather.

Fish washed up on my shoreline. What can I do with them? While the fish are ultimately individual landowners’ responsibilities, the District has coordinated a dumpster with Buckingham where residents can drop off dead fish from their shorelines. The SMSC’s Organics Recycling Facility in Shakopee has agreed to take the fish. The dumpster will be at the Spring Lake boat launch off of Vergus Avenue and will be available beginning Sept 6th by 5 pm.

How to Report Fish Kills: If you observe large fish die-offs on any of the lakes you can report any findings on the U of MN’s fish kill reporting map. The fish kill map is a tool created by Dr. Nick Phelps to identify fish kills in Minnesota and allows you to identify the date, location, approximate number of fish and condition of the fish and note if anything about the fish looks abnormal. UMN researchers may then investigate the kill and gather specimen samples for the UMN veterinary diagnostics laboratory. UMN staff also share reports with MN DNR staff.

Photo was taken by Spring Lake resident, Jeff Will.

View Full Article Lake, Spring Lake, crappies, fish, fish kills

DNR cautions lakeshore property owners about using hydraulic jets

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - May 31, 2018 - News, Prior Lake, Spring Lake

Minnesota DNR News Release: May 29, 2018

Using hydraulic jets to get rid of “muck” or to uproot aquatic plants in public waters is illegal, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 

“We remind lakeshore property owners that just because you can buy a hydraulic jet does not make them legal to use in all situations,” said Jon Hansen, aquatic plant management consultant. “You may not use them in any way that disturbs the lake bottom or destroys rooted aquatic plants,”

Aquatic plants help keep water clean and fish populations healthy. Misusing hydraulic jets can destroy fish habitat and muddy the water.

Hydraulic jets, including products like HydroSweep, Aqua Blaster, Aqua Thruster and Aquasweep, can resemble a fan or trolling motor contained in a short tube and create strong currents of moving water. These products are often advertised to control or remove “muck” and “weeds” from a lake bottom; however, using hydraulic jets in this manner is not allowed in Minnesota.

A person may legally operate a hydraulic jet if it is placed high enough off the lake bed so that it does not disturb the bottom or destroy rooted aquatic plants. It should be directed upward toward the water’s surface, which can prevent dead vegetation and duckweed from collecting around docks and boat lifts. Any displacement of sediment or removal of aquatic plants as a result of operating a hydraulic jet would be deemed a violation and may result in a fine.

Aquatic plant regulations and a guide to aquatic plants can be found at mndnr.gov/shorelandplants.

For information on DNR water permits, visit mndnr.gov/permits.

View Full Article Aquatic Vegetation, Aquatic plants, Lake, Vegetation, hydraulic jets, lakes, lakeshore

2018 Ice-Out Review

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - May 11, 2018 - News, Prior Lake, Spring Lake

While District lakes finally iced-out last week, it sure was an interesting ride getting there! This spring’s weather led to some unusual patterns across Minnesota. Winter clung on this year with more than one unexpected and significant snowstorm in April.

Normally, the lakes in southern Minnesota melt first, while the lakes up north are generally the last to ice out. Not so this year! Why? Thanks to April’s two feet of snow that pounded the Metro and southern Minnesota.  This snowfall largely missed northern Minnesota, giving the ice on the northern lakes a head start. Thus, quite a few lakes in northern MN iced-out before those farther south!

The top map shows 2018 ice-out dates, while the colorful map on bottom shows the 2017 ice-out date. As you can see, last year ice out marched from south to north like usual. This year when ice-out did happen the whole state practically iced out at once with lakes from southern, center and northern Minnesota icing out the same week (April 29-May 5). Some lakes in very northern Minnesota are still waiting for ice-out. Last year, ice-out occurred very early. This year was the complete opposite.  Instead of setting record early ice-out dates, lakes all over the state have been setting record late ice-out dates. Psst..you can find these interactive maps for both current and past years on the DNR’s website: www.dnr.state.mn.us/ice_out/index.html?year=2018.

2018 Ice-out dates

2017 ice-out dates

However, once the snow melted, the ice went fast! Many lakes went from 20 inches of ice to ice-out in just over a week! That’s crazy fast.

The 2018 ice-out dates (shown in table) for District lakes all set new records for latest ice-out dates based on our records. Most lakes bested the previous record by a couple of days. You can see the District’s full list of ice-out dates for District lakes on our Lake Monitoring page.

Lake
Ice Out Date
Pike
4/27
Haas
4/27
Cates
4/28
Buck
4/29
Upper Prior
4/30
Fish
4/30
Spring
5/1
Lower Prior
5/2
Want to help report ice-out on our lakes? Email jrockney@plslwd.org to be added to our volunteer ice observer email list.
View Full Article Lake, ice, ice-out
  • 1
  • 2

News & Events

  • Ongoing Projects
    • Fish Point Park Retrofits
    • Highway 13 Ferric Chloride
    • Monitoring
    • CR 12/17 Wetland Restoration
    • Carp Management
      • Where are the carp?
    • Flood Study
    • Indian Ridge Park Water Quality Project
    • Spring Lake Shoreline Restoration
  • Completed Projects
    • Arctic Lake Subwatershed Analysis
    • Lower Prior Diagnostic Study
    • Spring Lake Alum Treatment
  • News
  • Flooding Updates
  • Prior Lake
  • Spring Lake

News Archives

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

PLSLWD on FacebookPLSLWD on Twitter

Quick Links

  • Home
  • About Us
  • News & Events
  • FAQ
  • Waterbodies
  • Prior Lake Outlet Channel (PLOC)
  • Projects and Programs
  • Contact Us
(c) 2018 Prior Lake Spring Lake Watershed District, All Rights Reserved. Minneapolis web design by Iceberg.