11. Lake Minnewashta Budget, Water Resources CoordinatorI MEMORANDUM
CITY OF �
CHANHASSEN
690 COULTER DRIVE • P.O. BOX 147 • CHANHASSEN, MINNESOTA 55317
(612) 937 -1900 • FAX (612) 937 -5739
TO: Don Ashworth, City Manager
FROM: Diane Desotelle, Water Resources Coordinator
DATE: June 6, 1995
' SUBJ: Lake Management Budget
' Background
Last year the City Council decided to take the eurasian water milfoil fund and convert it into an
' overall lake management fund. This fund has been used to develop lake management plans and
newsletters for Lotus, Riley, and Minnewashta. These plans and newsletters summarizing the
plans were presented to council last March. Since then we have put on lake workshops and have
' met with some of the lake associations in an effort to educate them on lake management
including lake functions, eurasian water milfoil, and water quality.
' Analysis
The following is a summary of the activities going on at each of these lakes:
' Minnewashta
The Lake Minnewashta Preservation Association has been concentrating most of its efforts on
eurasian water milfoil, but they are also working on lawn care education to reduce the amount
' of phosphorus going into the lake. This group is a grass roots effort that started as result of the
disruption due to eurasian water milfoil. Their goal is to organize and focus the efforts of the
residents to develop an ongoing, long -term community spririt with planning and action to keep
' Lake Minnewashta beautiful and preserve its' W quality. A eurasian milfoil plan has been
developed and the DNR has permitted the association to treat approximately 70 acres of the lake
with herbicides. Other areas of the lake will be left alone to monitor if the plant can assimilate
' into the native community. Goals have been established for short and long term management
of the plant and the communication network around the lake has been very good.
Riley
The Lake Riley Association with the assistance of the City is preparing for a landscaping and
aquascaping demonstration day on June 17, 1995. A landscape architect who specializes in
ecological systems and native plantings and a limnologist who specializes in aquascaping will
be out to discuss different landscape designs and vegetation for two different types of lots
adjacent to the lake. A steep lot and a relatively flat lot will be used to give examples of natural
types of landscaping and plantings. With that, staff hopes that the lakeshore owners will be
encouraged to change there landscaping from just lawn to vegetation that is more diverse and acts
as a buffer between the lawn and the lake. Staff would like to see some of the Lake
Management funds used in a cost share program for the purchase of vegetation only. This is
a practical illustrative means to help water quality and provide wildlife habitat in an educational
format.
Lotus
Lotus Lake has not been as active as the other lakes, but they are very interested and enthusiatic
by the City's efforts on lake management and water quality. Once again Chanhassen is way
ahead of other municipalities in the metropolitan area.
In addition to the above, we have also been monitoring all of the lakes one to two times per year.
A management plan will be developed for Lake Ann and Lucy this winter. Eurasian water
milfoil was found on Ann this year and we will be looking at the best management alternatives
for this situation. Christmas Lake also has a very active association and the City will be working
with them on water quality issues within the watershed and preventive monitoring measures for
eurasian water milfoil.
Budget
Staffs use of the lake management fund for 1995 is as follows:
Lake Management Plans and Newsletters for Minnewashta, Riley,
and Lotus. This includes mailing the newsletter to all lakeshore and
beach lot access owners
$18,000
Eurasian Water Milfoil matching state funds
Minnewashta ($2,384), Riley ($1,500), Lotus ($1,628)
$5,512
Monitoring and Sampling
$3,000
Lake Projects ( Minnewashta, Riley, Lotus - $2500 each)
$7,500
Begin Lake Ann /Lucy Management Plan
$4
TOTAL
$35,012
Recommendation
Staff is looking for Council direction and suggestions on a cost share program for landscaping.
We suggest that a portion of the $2,500 set aside for lake projects on each of the lakes above be
used at the discretion of the lake association for the cost share program, however, each
homeowner could only receive up to 25% of the costs (not to exceed $200) for the purchase of
vegetation only. Property owners interested in this cost share program would have to meet
criteria set by the City. For example, the vegetation would have to be along the lake frontage
and the design intended to reduce erosion, enhance water quality, and provide for wildlife habitat.
Other costs such as design, grading, etc. would have to be fronted by the property owner.
The City would like to offer these programs as a means to educate citizens on water quality,
ecologically sound landscaping and lawn care principals, and the protection and preservation of
the City's lakes. The landscaping ideas will be viewed not only by individuals living on the lake,
but also by those individuals using the lake. The City is working through the lake associations
as a means to educate the community as a whole.
c: Charles Folch, City Engineer
Kate Aanenson, Planning Director
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