Lake Crookneck Improvement Association

1. Lake Crookneck Improvement Association • Review Role of LCIA & LID • Review Exotic Vegetation Problem • Lake Vegetation Yeary Assessment • Lake Monitoring • Discuss Current Lake Issues/Plans

2. Role of LCIA and LID LCIA Total Lake Management Exotic Species Surface Conflicts Water Quality Fisheries Wildlife Education Social Events Aquatic Vegetation

3. Role of LCIA and LID LCIA Total Lake Management Surface Conflicts LID Fisheries Water Quality FUNDING Exotic Species Wildlife Education Social Events Aquatic Vegetation

4. LID Mission To improve the water quality of Crookneck Lake through lake management, aquatic (exotic) vegetation control and related services.

5. Lake Vegetation Management Plan Lake Crookneck Improvement Association Making Sound Decisions for a Balanced Ecosystem

6. Exotics vs. Natives Exotic

7. Economic Impacts • Navigation/recreation – boating, swimming, fishing • Irrigation • Aesthetics • Property values

8. Environmental Impacts • Light • Temperature • Oxygen • Zooplankton • Food chain • Water quality/chemistry • Biodiversity • Endangered species • Size of infestation independent of effects

9. Life Cycle

10. Reproduction Turions can live dormant in the lake for 4-5 years

11. Treatment Strategy Stop Turion Production Decrease Biomass Reduce Seed Bank

12. Assessment2005 Only Allowed 15 Acres

13. Assessment2006

14. Assessment2007

15. Assessment2009 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Areas spotted by John Parker - 7/8/09

17. Monitoring Program Goals • Lake management planning and protection • Education and awareness • Enhance a lake dataset for Morrison County Water Plan (Improve chances of getting grants). Citizen Volunteer Monitoring can: • Identify & solve problems locally • Involve people in real science • Raise awareness • Create an informed constituency

19. Data Use • Can be used for any project at any level of government • Lake Association • Lake Management Plan • Lake Vegetation Plan (DNR) • City Planning • County Water Plan • Statewide Assessments • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

20. Lake Monitoring Water quality measurements • Total Phosphorus • Chlorophyll a • Water clarity (secchi depth)

21. Phosphorus • Limiting nutrient in lakes • Means everything that plants and algae need to grow is available in excess (sunlight, warmth, water, nitrogen, etc.) except phosphorus • Phosphorus is food for algae and plants • Enters the lake from: • Agriculture - Improperly maintained septic systems • Fertilizer - Boat motors in shallow areas • Manure - Lake Sediment

22. Chlorophyll-a • The pigment that makes plants and algae green • Measured in lakes to determine algal concentration • Algae is important in lakes because it adds oxygen to the water as a by-product of photosynthesis.  • On the other hand, if there is too much algae in a lake it can produce a foul odor and be unpleasant for swimming. 

23. Secchi Depth • A measurement of water transparency • Transparency is how deep sunlight can penetrate through the water  • Water transparency depends on the amount of particles in the water

24. Secchi Depth Chlorophyll a Total Phosphorus Relationships These three measurements are used to monitor Eutrophication in Lakes

25. Eutrophication • Eutrophication is a natural process that a lake goes through over hundreds to thousands of years. • Natural eutrophication is also sometimes referred to as lake aging.

26. Eutrophication • Humans can speed up the process of eutrophication by adding excess nutrients and sediment quickly, where the lake will change trophic states in a matter of decades.  • This type of eutrophication is called cultural eutrophication because humans cause it. 

27. Phosphorus Exports HUMAN LAND USES Feedlot 150 -450 Human Land Uses

28. Mesotrophic Eutrophic Lake Eutrophication Oligotrophic

29. Lake Eutrophication Oligotrophic Mesotrophic Eutrophic Eutrophication is like a recipe. Add phosphorus, and the lake gets greener.

30. Protecting Lakes • If Phosphorus inputs to the lake are reduced, the lake water quality can improve • There are multiple examples in programs where lakes have witnessed recovery occurring in the short-term (1-2 years) as well as the long-term (5-15 years) • Examples of nutrient loading reductions: • Lake-wide septic upgrades • Change in land-use practices • Riparian Buffering • Industrial and municipal loading reductions

31. Oligotrophic Mesotrophic Eutrophic Hypereutrophic Carlson’s Trophic State Index 0 25 50 75 100

32. Oligotrophic Mesotrophic Eutrophic Hypereutrophic Lake Eutrophication 0 25 50 75 100 Oligotrophic Mesotrophic Eutrophic

33. MN Ecoregions • Lakes and streams in the different parts of the state have different physical and chemical properties • Ecoregions are a way to group similar conditions affecting lake type • An ecoregion is a large expanse of land containing a geographically distinct collection of plants, animals, natural communities and environmental conditions

34. MN Ecoregions *Based on interquartile range (25th-75th) percentile for Ecoregion Reference Lakes, MPCA

35. Trophic Status Index

36. Stewardship • Stewardship is an attitude. • It is the understanding that what we do on land and in the water affects the lake. • It is recognition that lakes are vulnerable and that in order to make them thrive, citizens, both individually and collectively, must assume responsibility for their care.

37. Discuss Current Lake Issues/Plans LCIA Total Lake Management OtherIssues Surface Conflicts LID Fisheries Water Quality FUNDING Exotic Species Wildlife Education Social Events Aquatic Vegetation

38. Crookneck Lake LCIA Questions