Transcript Rice Lake 2004-2005 Drawdown Request

Rice Lake 2004-2005 Drawdown Request
• Why do a Drawdown?
– Economical (City Public Works removing boards at the Elm Creek Dam
and the cost of a DNR permit totals under $500)
– Environmentally safe
– Proven to control non-native aquatic plants such as Curlyleaf
Pondweed and Eurasian Watermilfoil
• Does a Drawdown increase Fish Kills?
– No, there have been no fish kills observed the season after a drawdown
is conducted. Previous fish kills have occurred in non-drawdown seasons.
RLAA aerates during drawdowns to help provide additional oxygen to the
fish population, as recommended by the DNR.
• Is a Drawdown supported by Rice Lake members?
– Over 98% of all Lakeshore and Lake View homeowners signed a
petition in agreement a Drawdown should be conducted
Rice Lake 2004-2005 Drawdown Survey Results
120
106
103
100
80
60
40
20
3
0
# Surveyed
# Approved
# Rejected
Survey conducted 8/24/2004 through 9/6/2004 by RLAA Volunteers
• Do lake management experts support a Drawdown?
– City of Maple Grove consultant Steve McComas approves
– Rice Lake consultant Jim Storland approves
• Does the DNR approve of a Drawdown?
– Yes, the local Area Hydrologist (Tom Hovey) and Fisheries Manager
(Darryl Ellison) both approve
• Does the City approve of a Drawdown?
– Yes, City Head Engineer Ken Ashfeld supports a drawdown to help
control non-native aquatic plants and clean up the lake
• Has a Drawdown worked in the past?
– 3 Drawdowns have been conducted in the past 10 years
• Winter of 1996-1997
• Winter of 1997-1998
• Winter of 2002-2003
– Results in the latest drawdown of 2002-2003 were best conditions ever
on the lake. Weed levels were best in 2 decades and algae levels were at
their lowest.
– Drawdowns being conducted throughout the state were possible with
encouraging results
Testimonial from Steve McComas of Blue Water Science
Blue
water
Science
550 South Snelling Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55116
651.690.9602
Tech Memo
Date: August 5, 2004
To:
George Schneider, Rice Lake Association From:
McComas, Blue Water Science
Steve
Subject: Rice Lake Drawdown
Managing curlyleaf pondweed has been a technical and economical
challenge for a number of years. The Rice Lake Area Association, in
conjunction with the City of Maple Grove, has implemented a
successful curlyleaf pondweed management program using a lake
drawdown. This has proven to be an effective curlyleaf and Eurasian
watermilfoil control technique.
From my observations, it appears that a drawdown for Rice Lake over
the 2004-2005 winter is warranted based on the regrowth of
curlyleaf pondweed in the spring of 2004.
August 8, 2004
Wade Quale
RLAA
Recommendations for Rice Lake Drawdown for Curlyleaf Pondweed Management
Drawing down the lake during the winter is the least expensive and probably the most
effective way to control the reproductive potential of curlyleaf pondweed by freezing the
turions in the area exposed from the drawdown. However, since the turions float and
reinfest the area of the drawdown from plants unimpacted by the drawdown, I
recommend several consecutive years of drawdown along with treatment of the nondrawdown
area with Aquathol-K each year to control those plants as well. After about
three or four years of using this combination of drawdown and chemical treatment the
curlyleaf pondweed should be at low enough levels to allow for the regrowth of native
aquatic vegetation which should improve the water quality and fishery of Rice Lake.
Also it is critical for successful fish spawning to restore the lake to its normal level as
soon as possible in the spring, especially for northern pike which spawn on the emergent
vegetation at the edge of the lake as soon as the ice melts and the inlets start to flow.
Jim Storland
Environmental Lake Management Consultants, Inc.
The Rice Lake Area Association thanks you for your
consideration to approve conducting a drawdown this
fall/winter 2004-2005.
All residents living along the lake will be sent notification
that the drawdown will begin during the first week of
October with recommendations to remove their boats and
prepare their shoreline accordingly.
Rice Lake Area Association
Visit our Website at: http://www.ricelake.homestead.com