News Issue 6 Mar Apr 2006

News from the Rum River Watershed Volume #2 Issue #2 March/April 2006

Feature: Healthy Lakes/Healthy Rivers Partnership in Isanti County Contents: • • • • • • • • •

From the Editor: What Does It Take to Maintain a Healthy Lake? Sunset over Skogman Lake News from six Isanti County Lake Associations (photo by Bradley Videen) Are You Loving Your Lake to Death? — by Mike Mueller Minutes for March Meeting: Friends of the Rum River Earth Day Celebration April 22nd at Cambridge Community College In the May/June Issue: Wetland Banks and the 100 Year Flood in Mille Lacs County In the July/August Issue: Lake Mille Lacs: The Source of the Rum Mission/Vision Statement of the NRRW newsletter Signing up for the NRRW newsletter

From the Editor: The Healthy Lakes/Healthy Rivers Partnership in Isanti County What does it take to maintain a healthy lake? This was the question that drew together a group of 60 people on October 8th at the Wyanett Town Hall, to listen to each other speak of the efforts their lake associations were undertaking to deal with challenges in maintaining Isanti County lakes in good condition. October 8th was the third of several meetings facilitated by the Initiative Foundation out of Little Falls, through its Healthy Lakes/Healthy Rivers Partnership Program. Don Hickman, the coordinator of the program, was eager to answer questions and help move the process along. At this meeting each of the eight Isanti County lake associations taking part in the program, were to present to the group their findings on “how healthy” their lake presently is. These associations included those of Long Lake (west of the city of Isanti), Paul’s Lake, Elin’s Lake, Lake Francis, Green Lake, Spectacle Lake, Skogman Lake and Lake Fannie. They each had just five minutes to do it. The Initiative Foundation is willing to give up to $5400 to each participating lake or river association to help focus on dealing with a selected issue. For some lakes it is the algal blooms. For others, infestations of curly pondweed. $2400 of each grant goes towards fine-tuning each association’s visioning and planning efforts. An additional $3000 will be allocated to implementing a limited number of the projects. The energy level in the small town hall was high. The members of the associations were obviously knowledgeable, dedicated, and keenly interested in the process. They were happy to have the chance to network with each other and other professionals who could assist them. In this issue of News from the Rum River Watershed I will introduce you to some of the people in these lake associations, and give you an inside look on what they are doing to continue the two-year process of the Healthy Lakes/Healthy Rivers Partnership. — Kriste

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Lake Francis Improvement Association History Submitted by Don Quaintance, 3-17-06

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LAKE FRANCIS (DNR ID# 30-0080) is located 5 miles west of the city of Isanti on Co. Rd. 5. The lake surface area is 301 acres, and has a maximum depth of 7-9 feet depending on precipitation. The average water clarity is 1.4 feet, but during recent summers (years 2002 through 2005) from May through August the average Secchi Disc readings have been only 4-6” due to heavy algae blooms. The water starts turning green by mid May, and by June often has a toxic blue green algae bloom. We do not have a weed problem at this time, because the rough fish and wind keep plants from growing in this heavy phosphorus and nitrogen filled body of water. The lake is filled by County Ditch 10 leading into the northwest side of lake, and the water level is controlled by a dam at the northeast corner of the lake feeding into wetlands and a stream that flows into the Rum River. Originally an unnamed tributary of the Rum River flowed through the north end of the lake in its natural state. Sometime prior to 1930 Isanti County Ditch 10 was constructed, a part of which system diverted the flow of the creek around the north end of the lake. The low lake levels that followed caused a concern in the area, and in 1932 a new ditch (and current) was constructed, redirecting part of the flow of the stream into the lake. A dam was presumed constructed at the same time at the outlet, since such a dam was found to be in place during a 1935 investigation. This dam failed in 1938, and the present outlet dam was completed on October 22, 1938. We have had an active lake association since July 1958 when “The Lake Francis Improvement Association” was formed. The general purpose of the Association is to improve the physical and aesthetic condition of Lake Francis and the surrounding area: also to promote the social and cultural well being of its members. There is an “Articles of Association” and the board consists of a president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary. Over the years, there has been an attempt to establish a Lake Improvement District, but it does not look like one was formed yet. We are now in the process of starting this procedure again. The lake association owners treated the lake with copper sulfate a couple times per year during the late 1960’s through 1980’s. This turned out to be more of a “band aid”; it was only a temporary fix. It was during the 1990’s that we found out that copper sulfate was not the best solution, and probably in the end, added to the problem. There was quite a bit of fishing, boating, skiing on the lake up until 1990 when the algae problem took over. There was a lot of wild life around the lake, which suddenly started to disappear in 1990. The water clarity of Lake Francis had diminished in the early 1990s to .4 .5 .7 .9 from 2.6 in 1980. This was alarming, and by 1995/1996 we were having meetings to discuss what we could do to correct this situation. We started water monitoring and testing in 1997 and applied for a grant in 1998 to do a diagnostic study. We worked with Tim Chmielewski of Water Research and Management, Sauk Rapids, MN to do the Diagnostic-Feasibility Study on Lake Francis. We received the grant in 1999 and a group of volunteers did monitoring, testing, water sampling, etc. In 2002 the end result was that now “the lake is the problem”. When testing first started the incoming stream (CD-10) did have low clarity, but working with the farmers and feed lot people upstream, the water began to clear the next year, when the farmers took an interest in correcting some of the problems with run off, etc. Now the lake is the problem—because it is shallow, and the winds, carp, and recreation keep stirring up the sediments from the bottom of the lake. This prevents any light for good plant growth to help clean the water. We were advised by the Diagnostic & Feasibility Study that a lake drawdown might be the best solution to our problem. This would allow the 12” plus of muck at the bottom to harden, and also would allow plant growth to begin.

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In the past three years we have seen a few more birds coming back to the area, and the bald eagle is making a comeback. A couple years ago we had a couple pairs of eagles that took up residence on or near our lake, and this year there have been several more spotted in the area. The blue heron disappeared for 1 or 2 years, but now they are back. To keep the sediments from our lawns, roadways etc from running off into the lake, some lakeshore owners started lakescaping their properties. Much of this is on a trial basis, to see what works. We also are working with Isanti County regarding the mowing of the ditch along Isanti County Rd 5, that runs along the south end of Lake Francis. After meeting with the County, this year they left a lot of the growth there for a barrier (buffer), cutting the taller bushes and trees tops off, but leaving about 3 feet of the plants to hold the soil in place, and filter out sediments. Since the County did not mow down to the water edge as in previous years, this leaves a nice buffer zone There has been an erosion problem since 1969, since I have been a lake resident. I have lost about 30 feet of lawn from my house to the lake. I can see that it is not only my property that has been affected. In my opinion, this may be one of the reasons the lake has become so shallow and nutrient rich. This soil must be “in the lake” since it is not likely to be washed out over the dam. Our goal is to have a cleaner lake with clear water. We need help in reaching this goal. History of Paul's (Lake Florence) and Elin's (Elms) Lake Improvement Association Submitted by Kevin Hartnett, 3/15/06

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Below is a quick summary of both Paul's (Lake Florence) and Elin's (Elm's Lake). As you well know we are surrounded now by the city of Cambridge. I feel our lakes have a great chance to make something good come out of this urban development. No other lakes in Isanti County have had such a rapid growth in regards to development and possible incorporation into a city as these two lakes. I feel if we do things right and document the changes to the lakes we could become a pilot program for the state of Minnesota. In 1987/1988 Minnesota lakes were affected by a severe drought. At that time, the lakes in Central Minnesota suffered a significant change in the littoral surface given their bowl shape and sandy bottoms. The loss of surface water caused area lakeshore homeowners to place their docks approximately 100 feet from shoreline. Boat landings became unusable and shorelines became over populated with non-aquatic weed growth. Area residents did not use the lakes for recreational use. Residents of Paul's and Elin's lakes formed a volunteer partnership to address the multiple problems associated with the drought. In the spring of 1988 a lake association was formed now known today as Paul's and Elin's Lake Improvement Association. A constitution was drawn up, bylaws were passed, and a governing body was elected. Dues were voted in as a means of financing our goals. The first year we accomplished the construction of a cement pylon boat landing at the public access. The next year we cleared a navigational path within the channel between the two lakes. Area residents worked hard on this project with just garden tools. It became very apparent that neighbors helping neighbors could make this volunteer lake association work. Next we were faced with a severe winterkill of the fish to both lakes. That spring we were able to get the DNR fisheries to restock the lakes and build a carp barrier at the exit of Paul's lake to the Isanti Brook that feeds to the Rum River. Also that summer we constructed a bridge that connected the north shore of Paul's lake to the Nelson pond. Today this pond is called the Bay View Pond and is a storm water runoff-holding site from the Bay View holding basins. These basins were formed to deal with the large housing additions to the south side of Cambridge.

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Between 1990 and 2000 we planted trees as a sound barrier to the Highway 65 bypass and developed a neighborhood crime watch program. An eagle's nest was built on the island and wood duck houses sprang up on all shores. These wood duck houses now produce large hatches of wood ducks each year. Today the Lake Association is faced with even greater challenges. The lake members are active in pursuing grant money for the treatment of curly-leaf pondweed from the Initiative Foundation and learning about how developments affect our lakes and natural resources. Currently we reside in Isanti Township and the boat landing belongs to that township. Part of the surrounding area of both lakes has been incorporated into the city of Cambridge. We are very concerned as to the impact of the developments that are now being built around Paul's and Elin's lakes. We have also submitted for DNR funding for the treatment of the curly-leaf problem and a pilot program concerning developments. The Skogman Lake Association Submitted by Bradley L. Videen, 3/15/06 [email protected] The purpose of this organization is to explore and promote methods to maintain and improve the quality of Skogman Lake. Our association will undertake activities which preserve the natural characteristics of the lake, improve the water safety and recreational quality of the lake, increase neighborhood education and awareness of issues affecting our lake, and encourage best management practices of the shorelands and lake watershed. We will work together to ensure a healthy lake for future generations. The Skogman Lake Association was formed in 1993. Over the years we have had success with multiple projects including beaver control, Hwy. 95 culvert dredging, wood duck house sales, ice clean-up, Purple Loosestrife beetle planting, watershed mapping, public access signage, educational newsletters and meetings, septic survey, and water quality monitoring. We have had many discussions with local government regarding developmental runoff into Lake Fannie. We have enlisted the help and power of the MN Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to work with the Cambridge City Council to establish a zero phosphorus requirement for runoff from all future developments in our watershed. Currently the Skogman Lake Association has 45 members. This represents 45% of the total residences on the lake. The services that we provide to the members are informational/educational newsletters and two general association meetings per year. One of the meetings is a summer picnic with a boat parade. The other is our annual membership meeting which is held in the fall. Often we have a speaker at our fall meeting. We have worked closely with the MPCA and the DNR on various issues concerning our lake and its watershed. In 2005 we completed a water quality study under the direction of Steve Hiskary from the MPCA. We are planning to continue with water quality monitoring in the future. The Cambridge and Isanti Townships have been our close allies in our ongoing interactions with the Cambridge City Planners and City Council. In 2003 we took the unrepresented Lake Fannie under our wing to give them a voice at the local government meetings. We tried to stop the planned storm water discharge into Lake Fannie from a large new development. The Township effectively stopped the culvert construction to protect Lake Fannie, but lost the fight when the land was annexed into the city. Lake Fannie is currently in the process of organizing their own association, but we intend to work jointly on many projects in the future.

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Special thanks are warranted to Pat Nowacki for his dedication and leadership during the last eight years as the association president. The countless meetings with the City Council, City Planners, Isanti and Cambridge Townships, and housing developers can prove to be frustrating at times, but Pat handled them all with a professional attitude. Joanie Videen should also be recognized for getting the MPCA to help us conduct our recent water quality study, which eventually led to the MPCA requiring a zero phosphorus gain from all future developments affecting our watershed. Our watershed includes Skogman Lake, Fannie, Elin's Lake, and Paul's Lake.

The Fanny Lake Association Submitted by Lenny Libis, 3/14/06

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In 2005 interested lake dwellers attended presentations sponsored by the Healthy Lakes & Rivers Partnership, designed to help area lake associations plan for the future. Topics of common interest were water quality, weed control and lake usage, to name a few. Lakes in the Cambridge area represented included Long, Paul’s, Elin’s, Francis, Green, Spectacle, as well as the combined Skogman/Fannie Lake Association. Grants were provided to the Lake Associations to develop “Visioning” sessions as well as incentives to develop “Lake Management Plans” Skogman/Fannie Lake Association had recently contested a storm sewer designed for a development’s run-off into Fannie Lake. Many meetings were attended to head off the culvert. The group felt victory was at hand. This was circumvented by the annexation of Fannie Lake property to the City of Cambridge, with the ultimate installation of a culvert, contrary to the association’s wishes. Skogman/Fannie decided that they maybe would have had more influence with government if they had separated and come at the same issue from two organizations. Thus the Fannie Lake Association was formed. The Fannie Lake Association formed with hopes to garner support from Fannie Lake residents as well as any other interested persons or groups in order to work towards preserving and possibly improving Lake Fannie. Our initial goal is to educate Fannie Lake residents of the current threat to water quality. It appears that phosphorus has threatened our lake through its profound effect on plant life (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Lakes Assessment for Fannie Lake (30-9943).) The same study claims that Lake Fannie is near being placed on the “Impaired Waters List.” The MPCA report is on the following Website: http://www.pca.state.mn.us///publications/reports/lar-30-0022.pdf. The plants in Lake Fannie have grown to such an extent as to greatly reduce the visibility and threaten its fish. The source of phosphorus is most likely fertilizer and leaky septic systems. If we are successful the amount of phosphorus going into Lake Fannie will be greatly reduced through eliminating phosphorus in fertilizer and correcting obsolete septic systems, as well as building buffers to the lakes (lakescaping.) We hope to do this through education and fundraising. We hope to find financial assistance to update leaky septic systems. We want to show how phosphorus is not necessary in our area in lawn fertilizer. We may support legislation adopted by the 7-county metro area in banning the use of phosphorus in fertilizer. Fannie Lake Association will join Skogman in committees designed to plan and cultivate outside resources in its crusade to make our lakes clean and fun for future generations.

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The Spectacle Lake Association Interview with Tom Krueger, 3-20-06

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Surprisingly, Tom Krueger told me, Spectacle Lake does not seem to have many problems! Yet. It has no inlets or outlets, is fed by 14 springs, and the water leaves primarily through evaporation. Ninety percent of the lake has a clean sandy bottom. There is not even a canal between it and neighboring Green Lake to the west, which suffers a variety of problems, including invasion by Eurasian milfoil. However, Spec Lake is surrounded by 156 lakeshore homes. Fifty-six of these families are members of the Spectacle Lake Association. They have an annual meeting for all members, and the board meets quarterly. At this time they are interested in promoting activities for the lakeside residents to get to know each other. The Association has even produced a directory towards that purpose. Septic system compliance is closely monitored. New buildings primarily have used the mound system. Also, modern regulations require a lot to have 200 feet of shoreline before construction of a new residence. Most of the current homes were built when regulations only required 65 feet of shoreline. If the lake has any potential problems, it is in assuring compliance to regulations as old-style cabins are replaced with modern homes, and also the noise problem caused by jet skiers and high-speed boats. The watercraft can cause problems as they zoom too close to swimmers. “This is a great bass lake,” said Tom. “We also have lots of sunfish and crappies, but not much walleye. Once we tried stocking with walleye fry, but they just became ‘northern bait.’ The problem was that there are no natural spawning grounds for walleye in this lake. They need a rocky substrate for that.” The Spectacle Lake Association is looking forward to the next step in the visioning process between the eight Isanti County lakes and the Healthy Lakes/Healthy Rivers Partnership, which will be held on April 29th. The goal that day will be to pinpoint the prime issues of concern that each lake will focus on in the Partnership. Are You Loving Your Lake to Death? by Mike Mueller Area hydrologist Mike Mueller reports that there are about 208 wetland basins and lakes 10 acres or more in size in Isanti County. Here he continues his series on watershed dynamics. A few years ago I saw a DNR brochure with this title: “ Are you loving your lake to death?” It was directed at those of us who insist on eliminating the native trees and plants that evolved over thousands of years, and replacing them with a bunch of exotic grasses that are more commonly referred to as ‘your lawn’. I confess I used to belong to the very large group of folks that simply do not know that there are alternatives to having a lawn. This is not surprising if you think about the hundreds of lawn, fertilizer and mower commercials we are exposed to every year. In the end though, my dislike of mowing and my love of nature led me to create “Mother Nature’s Better Homes and Gardens” at my house. Minimal lawn, maximum forested area and lots of perennial flowers. So what can you do to prevent your property from being part of the problem and get it to be part of the solution? You can start by creating as much permeable area on your property as possible. Permeable means that it is vegetated but not covered with a hard surface. Rain and water can soak into the soil in permeable areas. Trees, shrubs, gardens and lawns are permeable areas. Rooftops, sidewalks, driveways and patios are example of impervious material. Impermeable areas increase runoff from rain and snowmelt, which leads to greater pollution carried to the water.

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Buffer areas trap and hold runoff water. If you're trying to minimize the runoff from your property, it makes a lot of sense to create a buffer between your house and the lake or between the house and the street. That way the water has to go through the vegetation in your buffer area first. Lawns have only a limited capacity to filter and trap nutrients from runoff, so it would be better to have an area of larger, more robust vegetation for your buffer. A relatively new concept in buffers is the use of a rain garden. These are nothing more than a shallow depression planted with native flowers or grasses. They store rain from modest sized storms and allow it to percolate into the soil. Heavy rains will fill up the rain garden, and then overflow through a designed outlet. By using native plants they have the appearance of a perennial flower garden. They are also a valuable source of habitat for butterflies and other wildlife. And, of course, they look nice. You don't even have to mow them. Grass clippings, leaves and other "organic" materials, like pet droppings are other sources of pollution. All of these things contain Phosphorus, which is public enemy Number One for your lake. When you mow, stop short of the water's edge and leave a strip of longer grass. If your street has gutters and storm sewers, keep your clippings off the street. Urban stormwater almost always ends up in a water body somewhere. If you have a steep slope that is difficult to mow, plant it to something that doesn't need mowing. If you bag your lawn clippings, dispose of them away from the lake. Buy or make yourself a compost bin and turn clippings and leaves back into rich garden soil. Pick up after your pets and dispose of the waste where it can't run downhill to the water. Soil erosion is also a big concern. If you have a landscaping or other outdoor construction project, plan ahead to cover exposed soils with mulch or erosion control fabrics at the end of each day's work. If you are going to have bare soil on a slope, consider buying a roll of wood fiber blanket to cover the hill. It's relatively cheap to buy, about $50 for a 90 by 8-foot roll, and will protect whatever seed you are planting in the area. You put down your plant seed and roll the fiber blanket on top. You can also add potted plants by cutting a small hole in the material. They withstand heavy rainfall and will decompose within a couple of years, leaving a nicely vegetated slope. Septic system maintenance is a must for lake properties! Soil treatment systems will only work properly if they are maintained. This means you must pump your tank every two or three years. You'll see ads from time to time touting "additives" for your septic tank. Experts agree that they are not needed in septic systems, so save your money. However, you should use chemicals judiciously, as some soaps and detergents will affect the beneficial bacteria in the tank. Avoid soil compacting activities (ATVs, vehicles) on your drainfield or mound and prevent trees from growing on the drainfield as well. Freezing is a concern for your system during winters of low snowfall, so try letting the lawn grow extra high in the fall or cover it with straw. I planted wildflowers on my drainfield, which not only add color all summer, but provide insulating warmth all winter as well! Although the building code calls for water saving appliances and fixtures in new homes, older homes generate more water into the system. Try and minimize the amount of water you use. Do not use a garbage disposal on a septic system. Compost foods scraps (not meat or fish) rather than flushing down the sink. Unused household or hazardous chemicals should be taken to a waste disposal facility, rather than dumping them down the drain. Never dump antifreeze or oils in a street drain! Try and minimize putting solvents, cleansers and abrasives in your system. Last, along the waterfront, try to protect valuable lake plants that filter nutrients from the water. Place your dock in an area where it avoids bulrushes and other emergent plants. If you don't swim in the lake, do you really need to add sand to your beach? What about other lake weeds, do you really need to clear a large area or could you get by with a narrow strip by your dock? I have touched upon a variety of ways that homeowners can help their lakes. If it seems a bit overwhelming, try and pick one thing that seems like it would fit in your lifestyle and put it into practice. Once that is working, then tackle something else. Eventually these practices become a part of a daily routine and you will wonder why you ever did it differently. If you need more information there are

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many excellent resources available to you on the Internet. Most natural resource type agencies or local governments also have publications, manuals and brochures that will help you on your way. Lake associations are another good source for help. Who knows, maybe some day we can change the title of that brochure to “Are you loving your lake to life?” Minutes of the March 21 Meeting of the Friends of the Rum River On March 21st Friends of the Rum River turned two months old! We held our meeting again in E103 off of the Cambridge Community College’s food court, this time from 7 to 8:30 p.m., hoping this would provide an opportunity for those working during the day to come. However, we just had six show up— too much after a long day’s work! But they were a great bunch. Don Hickman of the Initiative Foundation made the long jaunt from Little Falls to be our guest speaker, introducing our group to the Healthy Lakes/Healthy Rivers Partnership program, and clueing us in on how the Friends group could tie into it in the future. We discussed our booth/table at the upcoming Earth Day Celebration on April 22. It was decided to put off firming up plans for the June 24th canoe jaunt from Cambridge to Isanti until our next meeting, now scheduled for Tuesday, April 18, from noon to one, CCC food court, E103. Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 22 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Cambridge Community College Food Court and Spirit River Nature Area Do you enjoy bird hikes along the Rum River in the Spring? Do you like free food, free plants, making bird feeders with your kids and learning about how to garden in an environmentally friendly manner? This free event, sponsored by the Isanti County Environmental Coalition, Active Living by Design and the Cambridge Community College (among others) is free and open to the public. Ruth Murphy from the Community Design Center of Minnesota will be our special speaker, and there will be plenty of booths on topics ranging from energy conservation, to local growers and greenhouses. Call Susan Blom at 763-689-5250 for more info— there may even be space for your booth!

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. (Herm Albright) Mission Statement: To provide a base of knowledge that we can use to help make wise decisions concerning the Rum River watershed.

Sunset #2 over Skogman Lake (photo by Bradley Videen)

Vision Statement To improve our ability, both as part of the private and as part of the public sector, to care for the Rum River watershed and all of the associated watersheds that make up the Mississippi River system. Contact Information: Kriste Ericsson, Editor, PO Box 82, Grandy, MN 55029 [email protected] • To sign up for this email newsletter, go to [email protected]. • To unsubscribe from the group, go to [email protected].