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Aquatic weed control program unfolds
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Wednesday, 11 June 2008
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This column is to update the public on the aquatic weed program that has begun on Forest Lake for the 2008 season. As most of the lake residents know the city council reduced the tax levy and operating budget in 2008 by $380,000.
One program that was eliminated from the 2008 Operating Budget was the Aquatic Weed Management Program.
As fiscal year 2008 began, concern began to rise both by the public and the council about the need for some kind of an aquatic weed management program on Forest Lake.
The city council and the newly formed Forest Lake Lake Association looked at this as an opportunity to work together and create a program that would really meet the needs of the lake users and shall be good for Forest Lake.
The city formed the Forest Lake Improvement Committee made up of the city of Forest Lake, Forest Lake Lake Association, Comfort Lake/Forest Lake Watershed District, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and concerned citizens.
The Forest Lake Improvement Committee has been meeting on an ongoing basis for the past four months developing a program for the 2008 season and laying the ground work to develop a comprehensive program for future years.
The city council directed staff to review the approved 2008 operating budget and find funds within it to finance this program. The council approved up to a maximum of $20,000 in expenditures to fund this program.
Proposed for 2008:
The city of Forest Lake has already treated two large Curly Leaf Pondweed beds using a herbicide chemical treatment.
The Forest Lake Improvement Committee will monitor these beds throughout the summer to see the effectiveness of using herbicides in this type of application. This information will be used to develop a comprehensive management program in future years.
The city of Forest Lake will also be performing a modified mechanical harvesting program for 2008. The city’s weed harvester will be mechanically harvesting certain areas on Forest Lake.
The primary purpose of this mechanical weed harvesting will be to get users to open water. One example is the channel between first and second lakes. The partnership has identified these areas and mechanical harvesting will begin sometime in June.
While aquatic vegetation can be a recreational nuisance, plants are a natural part of most lake communities and provide many benefits to fish, wildlife, people and even water quality.
Achieving the right balance between eliminating nuisance vegetation and improving water quality will be evaluated as the comprehensive management plan is developed.
Although the weed harvesting budget has been reduced in 2008, we see it as an opportunity to create a more effective and cost efficient program for the future.
A successful program is one that meets the needs of the lake users and protects the great asset and resource that helps make Forest Lake a great place to live.
Everyone who uses the lake can make a difference.
In an effort to address the overall health of our lakes, the Forest Lake Improvement Committee will be publishing educational articles on various lake issues and what you can do to reduce the influx of pollutants to our lakes.
A public service message provided by city of Forest Lake staff and the Forest Lake Lake Association. The article was written by City Administrator Chip Robinson.
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