Lake Quality Commission

Lake Quality Commission Agenda October 18, 2023 The Lake Quality Commission (LQC) meeting will commence at 6:30 pm at the Maple Grove Government Center, 12800 Arbor Lakes Parkway, Maple Grove, MN, 55369. ITEM ACTION REQUIRED CALL TO ORDER Call to order by Chairperson Fahrenbruch at 6:30 p.m. BUSINESS ITEMS 1. Introductions Introduce commissioners and students; 5 minutes for public comment 2. Approval of Minutes Approve minutes from the May 17, 2023 LQC meeting 3. Area Reports 4. Chloride Presentation Receive Low Salt No Salt MN Presentation 5. Docks, Mooring, and Other Consider review of City Code Section 22-96 regarding docks, Structures moorings, and other structures on lakes. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS FUTURE MEETINGS: November 15, 2023 – Street Sweeping & Elm Creek Watershed Update ADJOURNMENT  MAPLE GROVE LAKE QUALITY COMMISSION DRAFT MINUTES May 17, 2023 CALL TO ORDER A meeting of the Lake Quality Commission (LQC) was held on May 17, 2023 in the Mayor’s Conference Room at the Maple Grove Government Center, 12800 Arbor Lakes Parkway, Maple Grove. Vice-Chairperson O’Callaghan called the meeting to order at 6:31 p.m. Commissioners Present: Becky Fahrenbruch – Chair - Eagle Lake Brennon O’Callaghan – Fish Lake George Schneider – Rice Lake Nancy Bergstrand – Weaver Lake Sharon Martin-Kotula – Edward Lake Joe Ruegsegger – At Large Steve Lane – Cedar Island Lake Commissioners Absent: None Others Present: Kristy Janigo, City Council Liaison Derek Asche, City of Maple Grove Mark Lahtinen, City of Maple Grove Margaret Ham, Eagle Lake Connor McComas, Blue Water Science APPROVAL OF Minutes of the April 19, 2023 LQC meeting were presented. Lane indicated under MINUTES water obstacles he made the motion and requested the correction. LQC agreed. Lane is noted in April 19, 2023 LQC Meeting Minutes to have made the motion on water obstacles. MOTION TO APPROVE with the change was made by Schneider, second by Bergstrand. With all in favor the motion was APPROVED. AREA REPORTS Cedar Island, Steve Lane – Water clarity and water level is good. The curlyleaf pondweed has moved around a bit from last year but will be treated. Rice Lake, George Schneider – Water level in Rice is good and there is some curlyleaf beginning to grow. Have seen five pelicans recently. Eagle Lake, Becky Fahrenbruch – It was a good fishing opener on Eagle and Becky’s son caught a trophy fish.  Fish Lake, Brennon O’Callaghan – Not many fishermen yet. FLARA will hold their annual meeting on June 7. Edward Lake, Sharon Martin-Kotula – Water is very clear and there is lots of wildlife. The boat ramp project is coming along and should be finished this spring. Weaver Lake, Nancy Bergstrand – Boat lifts and boats are beginning to show up. There was a good turn out for fishing opener. Council Liaison Kristy Janigo – The City Council has approved the LQC suggested changes to the mission. Joe Ruegsegger, At Large – Water levels in Fish seem good but there are still a few complaints. 2022 Lake Mr. Connor McComas provided the annual update to LQC on the state of water Monitoring Report quality in various lakes in Maple Grove. Generally, water quality is good and/or improving. Chloride continues to be a concern in the Arbor Lakes area. The programs, practices, and projects completed through the Lake Improvement Program are having a positive effect. INFORMATIONAL None. ITEMS FUTURE May 17, 2023 MEETING: ADJOURNMENT Meeting adjourned at 7:37 pm.  LAKE QUALITY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT TO: Lake Quality Commission (LQC) FROM: Derek Asche, Water Resources Engineer DATE: October 6, 2023 SUBJECT: Chloride Presentation Chloride contamination in our freshwater lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands continues to emerge as a concern among water resource managers and scientists. Small amounts of chloride can negatively impact freshwater fish, plants, and other aquatic life upsetting the aquatic ecosystem. Once chloride is in freshwater, there are only limited and expensive ways to remove it from the system. RECOMMENDATION: I recommend the LQC receive the Low Salt No Salt Minnesota Presentation ATTACHMENTS: Low Salt No Salt Minnesota powerpoint slides  10/6/2023 Clearing a Path to Safety, Savings and Sustainability Using Less Salt Salt is a permanent, invisible pollutant and it is being overused. 1  10/6/2023 Salt pollutes our lakes and streams and harms aquatic species. You can keep community members safe, save money, and preserve the environment while using less salt. 2  10/6/2023 Advantages of Best Practices in Winter Maintenance Efficiency Costs Documentation Liability risk Environmental Infrastructure quality damage Public safety Low Salt, No Salt Minnesota Video (4min 45 sec) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN28xSzYv94 3  10/6/2023 Harmful effects of winter maintenance salt  Salt pollutes natural water sources, like lakes and streams, and drinking water  Salt harms lawns and landscaping, concrete and asphalt, carpets and floors, vehicles, shoes, and pets  Salt is expensive in terms of materials and labor 4  10/6/2023 Good News! Salt reduction best practices are well-established in Minnesota and do not compromise safety. Free or low-cost help with best practices is available from your city, watershed district, and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. “Three years ago, if you had told me that I could reduce salt and increase safety, I wouldn’t have believed it,” - Nick Queensland, ground maintenance supervisor, Mayo Clinic, Rochester 5  10/6/2023 “It’s better for the environment, it saves the association money, and saves on repairs in the long run. It’s a plus all the way around for us.” – Condo/townhome association board member “It’s a good story: cleaner environment and less costly.” - Condo/townhome association board member 6  10/6/2023 Be Smart about Salt Use:  Shovel  Select  Scatter “Effective and timely snow removal  Sweep reduces the need for salt use.” – E.J. Hook, Montana State University Shovel Your goal is not to melt everything Your goal is to apply just enough to allow for mechanical removal of snow and ice.  Watch the weather  Clear walkways and roads before snow turns to ice  Apply salt only if needed 7  10/6/2023 Select  Choose the right product for the conditions  Typical de-icing salt doesn’t melt ice below 15° F  Use sand for traction when it’s colder, or use a different de-icer Buyer Beware Unregulated Labels and False Claims 8  10/6/2023 Scatter  Aim for 3ʺ of space between salt granules  Use salt only where critical Sweep  Clean up leftover salt, sand, and de-icer  Save and reuse as needed 9  10/6/2023 Best Winter Maintenance Practices 10  10/6/2023 Additional best practices Get Smart Salting training for yourself and/or hire trained contractors Available through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Write, implement, and communicate your winter maintenance plan Tell folks why things will look different, what to expect Templates available through your Low Salt, No Salt Minnesota ambassador or the MPCA 11  10/6/2023 Prepare for winter  Sites and circumstances differ  Work with us to find the best solutions customized for your site  Many of you are already doing a lot to ensure effective low salt, no salt winter maintenance  We learn from you – please share your ideas What areas of your buildings and grounds require winter maintenance activities? What are the challenging or problematic areas of your site? 12  10/6/2023 What types of winter-related injuries, if any, do you have? Where do they occur? What natural resources, landscaping features, and other amenities are at your site? How will you protect them from salt damage? 13  10/6/2023 A word about liability  Everyone’s top concern is for safety, but liability is also a worry  Training in best practices, and solid documentation on the use of these practices are important to be able to demonstrate “due care” in winter maintenance* *Not a substitute for advice from your attorney. Seek legal counsel regarding your site and circumstances. Liability and Winter Maintenance Planning Video (2 min 45 sec) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoOHw_EY6T0 14  10/6/2023 With Low Salt, No Salt Minnesota, you can keep your community members safe while using less salt. Salt reduction best practices are well-established in Minnesota and do not compromise safety. Stay safe while using less salt.  You can confidently and safely prevent slips and falls while using less salt  Shoveling and sweeping are more effective than salt at preventing icy sidewalks and roads/parking lots  Salt doesn’t melt ice when temperatures reach 15°F or colder 15  10/6/2023 Save money by using less salt.  You can confidently and safely cut  More salt does not mean more melting, winter maintenance costs using so use less salt and save money low salt, no salt solutions  Sweep up excess salt for reuse, before it  Using less salt reduces costly damages washes into our waterways to landscaping, flooring, and hard surfaces Preserve Minnesota’s lakes and rivers by using less salt.  Protect nature’s creation, and prevent harm to landscaping and infrastructure 16  10/6/2023 Q&A “Safe and environmentally responsible; that’s a win, win.” – Property manager 17  10/6/2023 Clearing a path to safety, savings, and sustainability. 18  LAKE QUALITY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT TO: Lake Quality Commission (LQC) FROM: Derek Asche, Water Resources Engineer DATE: October 6, 2023 SUBJECT: City Code Section 22-96 Docks, Moorings, and Other Structures City Code Section 22-96, originally established in 1984 and revised in 2005 and 2009, pertains to docks, moorings, and other structures located on lakes within the City of Maple Grove. Lakes included are Cedar Island, Eagle, Edward, Fish, Pike, Rice, and Weaver. Staff has received complaints regarding violations of this section of code and upon review of additional properties using aerial photos staff concluded there are many non-compliant docks. RECOMMENDATION: I recommend the LQC consider the need for updating City Code Section 22-96. ATTACHMENTS: City Code Section 22-96 Aerial photo examples Example 1: Example 2: Example 3: Example 4: Example 5 Multiple docks: Example 6 crossing property lines: Example 7 encroachment into neighboring riparian area: