Laker Pioneer
Just over a decade ago, Long Lake was facing a troubling diagnosis; an impairing amount of phosphorus.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency conducted a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study of the entire Upper Minnehaha Creek Watershed in 2014, which showed just how much pollutant would need to be curtailed in the region’s host of lakes in order to meet water quality standards.
Among those lakes, which also included Wolsfeld Lake in Medina and Tanager Lake in Orono among others, Long Lake was officially deemed impaired with several stream inlets containing phosphorus levels exceeding the state standards.
Inflow from the downtown Long Lake/Orono area exceeds the standards by a factor of four.
The excess phosphorus bodes well for summer algal blooms, diminished fish habitat, and poor water clarity, while creating issues for recreationists.
Despite the findings, all was not lost. The three cities comprising the watershed, Medina, Orono, and Long Lake, formally agreed to work together, pursue grant funding, and potentially implement projects to help meet the MPCA’s outlined phosphorus reduction goals.
In 2017, a group of locals interested in understanding the watershed and helping the community formed the nonprofit Long Lake Waters Association.
These affected parties engaged the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, which offered its expertise in combatting various problems, namely carp.
By Max Kappel