Upper Prior Lake Alum Treatment
Upper Prior Lake is a regionally significant recreational lake that is currently on Minnesota's 303(d) List of Impaired Waters for nutrient/eutrophication biological indicators and has been impaired for aquatic recreation since 2002. The 2012 Spring Lake and Upper Prior Lake TMDL indicated that there are three critical sources of phosphorus to Upper Prior Lake: 50% from internal loading; 40% from upstream lakes; and 5% from direct watershed, atmospheric load and septic systems (8%). Despite completing multiple projects to reduce internal loading from common carp and curly leaf pondweed and external loading from upstream agricultural and rural sources, Upper Prior Lake still fails to meet two of the three statewide standards: Total Phosphorus and Chlorophyll-A. In order to get Upper Prior Lake over this hurtle, persistent internal loading needs to be reduced with an alum treatment. The purpose of this project is to apply the first of two alum treatments to Upper Prior Lake to reduce Total Phosphorus and Chlorophyll-A which will help meet state standards for Upper Prior Lake and restore this important resource.
Marcey Westrick
[Projects and Practices 2020] (b) $16,000,000 the first year and $16,000,000 the second year are for grants to local government units to protect and restore surface water and drinking water; to keep water on the land; to protect, enhance, and restore water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams; and to protect groundwater and drinking water, including feedlot water quality and subsurface sewage treatment system projects and stream bank, stream channel, shoreline restoration, and ravine stabilization projects. The projects must use practices demonstrated to be effective, be of long-lasting public benefit, include a match, and be consistent with total maximum daily load (TMDL) implementation plans, watershed restoration and protection strategies (WRAPS), or local water management plans or their equivalents. A portion of this money may be used to seek administrative efficiencies through shared resources by multiple local governmental units. Up to 20 percent of this appropriation is available for land-treatment projects and practices that benefit drinking water.
The goal is to reduce the internal loading of Upper Prior Lake by 571 lbs/year which will help meet overall state standards for Total Phosphorus (60 ug/l), Chlorophyll A (20 ug/l) and Secchi Depth (1.0) from all sources.
This project resulted in an estimated annual reduction of 571 lbs of phosphorus.
LOCAL LEVERAGED FUNDS