East Lake Winona Shoreland Restoration

The City of Winona, with the support of the Healthy Lake Winona citizens? group and other local agencies, requests this grant to restore habitat in wooded uplands, permanent wetlands, and shoreland areas around East Lake Winona. This project will enhance fish and wildlife habitat, reduce shoreline erosion, help meet water quality objectives, and maintain the beauty and recreational value of Lake Winona for everyone.

The habitat improvements will include removal of invasive species and replacement with native herbaceous, shrub, and tree species, which will enhance habitat for birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and pollinators. In addition, shallow water habitat along the shoreline will be planted with emergent aquatic plants that will protect the shoreline from wind and wave erosion, provide nursery habitat for fish and wildlife, and at the same time, enhance beauty and aesthetic qualities of the lake?s shoreline.

Lake Winona has been designated as an impaired water by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency due to excessive nutrient loads, particularly total phosphorus, that lead to an over-abundance of submersed aquatic plants. The resulting invasive curly leaf pondweed and filamentous algae significantly impair or prohibit the use of Lake Winona for aquatic recreation in certain areas. Emergent plantings and enhanced shoreline buffer strips planned for this project will aid in removal of excessive nutrients.

A smaller scale pilot project implementing all of these ideas at the lake is underway near the visitor?s center and a boat launch. Initial signs are promising, and have been well received by the public, which has inspired the City and Healthy Lake Winona to pursue this grant to further the restoration work.