Prior-Lake Spring Lake WBIF 2025
Prior Lake, the second most visited lake in the metro, and Spring Lake are both impaired for excess nutrients. The Prior Lake Spring Lake FY 2025 request would seek to fund two projects to reduce nutrients in the upper watershed:
Swamp Lake Iron Enhanced Sand Filter
The Swamp Lake Iron Enhanced Sand Filter (IESF) is an important part of watershed nutrient reduction and preventing further accumulation of nutrients in Spring Lake which, in turn, is the largest contributor of nutrients to Prior Lake. The Swamp IESF is expected to filter, bind with excess nutrients, and remove 89 lbs of Phosphorus per year, and presents one of most cost-effective, and far-reaching solutions in the watershed strategy. The Swamp IESF is urgently needed to protect the water quality work already done on Spring and Prior Lakes, and to stop a continuing nutrient source. Prior Lake water quality data suggests that it is nearing its nutrient reduction goals, and protecting this progress is essential to moving in the right direction.
Fish Lake Management Plan External Load Management Actions
In 2023, with the help of WBIF funds, the District completed an updated management plan for Fish Lake. The Fish Lake Management Plan identified both internal and external loading to be contributing factors to excessive nutrients found in Fish Lake. A suite of actions to reduce external loading to Fish Lake were proposed. This project would seek funding to support implementation and/or study of external loading projects. One potential project is the 200th Street pond improvement project which would remove phosphorus-rich sediment from ponds which are contributing to Fish Lake. The improvements would also provide additional sediment storage to reduce sediment from reaching Fish Lake. This project contributes to the external load nutrient reduction to Fish Lake identified in the Fish Lake Management Plan. The pond was not man-made and this does not constitute as "maintenance".
Annie Felix-Gerth
(a) $39,500,000 the first year and $39,500,000 the second year are for grants to implement state-approved watershed-based plans. The grants may be used to implement projects or programs that protect, enhance, and restore surface PreviouswaterNext quality in lakes, rivers, and streams; protect groundwater from degradation; and protect drinking PreviouswaterNext sources. Projects must be identified in a comprehensive watershed plan developed under the One Watershed, One Plan program and seven-county metropolitan groundwater or surface PreviouswaterNext management frameworks as provided for in Minnesota Statutes, chapters 103B, 103C, 103D, and 114D. Grant recipients must identify a nonstate match and may use other legacy funds to supplement projects funded under this paragraph. This appropriation may be used for: (1) implementing state-approved plans, including within the following watershed planning areas (see Chapter 40 Article 2 Section 6(a) (2) for the list of watershed planning areas: seven-county metropolitan groundwater or surface PreviouswaterNext management frameworks; and(3) other comprehensive watershed management plan planning areas that have a board-approved and local-government-adopted plan as authorized in Minnesota Statutes, section 103B.801. The board must establish eligibility criteria and determine whether a planning area is ready to proceed and has the nonstate match committed.
Complete the construction of the Swamp Lake Iron Enhanced Sand Filter which will reduce 89 lbs of Phosphorus from reaching Spring Lake.
Complete an external loading project as proposed in the Fish Lake Management Plan, such as 200th St Pond Improvements, or Lakeridge Stormwater Study.
LOCAL LEVERAGED FUNDS