The purpose of this newsletter is to provide you, a stakeholder, with in-formation regarding the Little Rock Lake Nutrient Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) project being conducted by the Benton Soil and Wa-ter Conservation District and project technical partners (see back).

The Little Rock Lake Watershed (yellow area on map) is located in southern Morrison County and northwestern Benton County. The 67,650 acre watershed is nearly evenly split between Benton (36,030 acres) and Morrison (31,620 acres) counties. Little Rock Lake (area in blue on map) is located near the bottom of the watershed.

INTRODUCTION

P R O J E C T

H I G H L I GH T S

TIMELINE

June 2008 - May 2010

PURPOSE

Identify source of excessive phosphorus in Little Rock

Lake

RESULT

Develop a plan for restoring Little Rock Lake to a level

which will meet water qual-ity standards

PROJECT LEAD

Benton SWCD

TROUBLED LAKE RECEIVES ATTENTION AND FUNDING

V ol u me 1 , Is s ue 1

W i nt e r 20 0 9 Stakeholder NewsletterStakeholder Newsletter Lit t le Rock Lake TMDL Project

Meet the Technical Team 2

Project Progress 2

Little Rock Lake Water Quality Standards

2

Little Rock Lake Association Goals

3

Watershed Improvement Programs

3

Lake Volunteers 3

Feedlot/Manure Management Assistance 4

I ns id e t his i ss ue :

In 2007, Little Rock Lake ex-perienced a large blue-green algae bloom, raising the con-cerns of landowners in the area. Algae samples collected by MPCA determined that the algae toxin levels were consid-ered to be high risk according to the World Health Organiza-tion standards. Historically, algae blooms occurred regu-larly in the lake, including toxic blue-green algae. Little

Rock Lake was listed on the 2008 MPCA Impaired Waters List and the Benton SWCD began work on the TMDL pro-ject.

The Little Rock Lake Nutrient TMDL Project combines the data collected from the ongo-ing Little Rock Creek Biologi-cal TMDL Phase II Study, which is scheduled to be com-pleted June 2009 (started in June 2006).

Funding for this publication made possible through the Little Rock Lake Association

2007 Blue green algae bloom

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V ol u me 1 , Is s ue 1 Page 2

MEET OUR TECHNICAL TEAM

The goal of the Little Rock Lake TMDL Project is to restore the lake to a level which will meet water quality standards.

The eutrophication standards for shallow lakes in this ecoregion are listed in the table to the left. Com-pare this to data collected from Little Rock Lake between 1976-2008. The chlorophyll-a values are six times over the standard, and the phosphorus values four times over the standard.

quality and chemistry data on 7 lake stations and 5 creek sta-tions. MPCA collected continu-ous flow data on 4 creek sites. Mr. James collected sediment cores from 10 stations on the lake for an internal phosphorus investigation.

Over 70 people attended the July 29, 2008 stakeholder kick-off meeting which was hosted by the Benton SWCD (see picture at right).

Benton Soil and Water Conser-vation District (SWCD) hosted the Technical Committee kick-off meeting on June 24, 2008. William Walker, Paul Garrison, and Bill James toured Little Rock Lake and the Little Rock Lake Watershed and Mr. Garri-son collected a paleolimnological sediment core from the deepest part of Little Rock Lake during the tour.

The Benton SWCD and lake volunteers collected water

The Little Rock Lake Association generously donated $2,000 to develop and distribute this newsletter to residents in the Little Rock Lake Watershed.

LAKE TMDL PROJECT PROGRESS REPORT

William Walker—Project consultant Mark Evenson—MPCA Hydrologist Paul Garrison—Project consultant

Annie Felix—Benton SWCD

LOCAL PROJECT MANAGER

Maggie Leach—MPCA Project Manager

Bill James—Project consultant

WHAT IS THE WATER QUALITY STANDARD FOR LITTLE ROCK LAKE?

Parameter Unit Lake Standard* 1976-2008

Average Lake Data

Chlorophyll-a ug/L 20 127

Phosphorus, total ug/L 60 254

Secchi feet Not less than 3.3 2

*MN Statute 7050.0222, Subp. 4. Class 2B Waters (Shallow Lakes in North Central Hard-wood Forest Ecoregion)

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will design part of a buffer that will be installed by participants during day two of the workshop. The resulting buffer planting, will serve as an education tool to those who are thinking about converting their mowed shore-line into a more natural habitat. More information will be avail-able on SWCD website.

Cost share is available for residents in the Little Rock Water-shed to install native buffers. Up to 75% of the project costs can be reimbursed to participants. Call the Benton SWCD for more in-formation.

The Benton SWCD, in partner-ship with Benton County Parks and the Lake Association, will host a Shoreland Buffer Work-shop on May 2nd and June 13th . This two part workshop will consist of two sessions. Part one will take place in the classroom and will educate the attendees on buffer basics. The attendees

been volunteering his time and pontoon to assist Annie Felix with data collection on the lake. Mark has also been taking secchi disk readings each week on the lake during the past three sum-mers. Mark hosted the Technical Team Kick-off Tour in July 2008.

Cliff Weitgenant, Little Rock Lake resident and Association member, joined the volunteer effort in 2008.

Since 2006, Mark Beckman, lake property owner and Little Rock Lake Association member, has

WATERSHED IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS

LITTLE ROCK LAKE ASSOCIATION GOALS

LAKE VOLUNTEERS MAKE IT POSSIBLE Thanks to Mark and Cliff, the 2008 sampling season was a success!

Excerpt from the Association web page: “These goals are still the main concerns which con-front us today, however in order to accomplish these goals we need more than a few core members to handle the fiscal and vocal work load that is required to complete the tasks. Currently there over 250 residencies surrounding the lake and 50 + on the channel. We

feel the Little Rock Lake Asso-ciation should comprise of at least 100-150 + members. We must show the community,

county, state that we do care about our resources and that we stand together to accomplish our goals. By becoming a unified and educated group, our area may be identified as an impact area, which could make us eligible for grants that other-wise would be unattainable.”

Visit their website: www.littlerocklake.org for meeting agendas, minutes and more.

Mark Beckman and Justin Lindner (NRCS intern) Cliff Weitgenant collecting water samples

Sustain a healthy ecosystem

Protect the quality of water, fish, shoreline vegetation, trees, birds, and other wildlife

Provide ecological education

2008 Lake Association Picnic at Rumors Bar

Recipient Name

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

City, State, Zip

Benton SWCD 14 2nd Avenue West

Foley, MN 56329

Little Rock Lake TMDL Project

• Nutrient Management Workshop: March 19, 12:30 - 2:30 pm at Henry’s Banquet Center in Foley

• Little Rock Lake Association meetings: March 14, April 11, May 9, June 13

• Shoreline Buffer Workshops: May 2nd & June 13—Benton Beach Park

• Little Rock Lake TMDL Stakeholder public meeting—Summer 2009

NEWS AND EVENTS

Phone: 320-968-5300 ext. 3 Fax: 320-968-5304

www.soilandwater.org

NEED HELP WITH YOUR FEEDLOT OR MANURE MANAGEMENT?

Call Mike McMillin at the Benton SWCD! He can provide Benton County producers with technical and financial assistance to im-prove your feedlot and manage-ment systems to meet state regu-lations.

Cost share is available for install-ing low-cost feedlot and manure management systems.

Addressing feedlot and manure management issues is a very high priority in Benton County.

Some Eligible Practices for Cost Share:

• Roof Gutters

• Clean Water Diversions

• Installing Filter Strips

• Fencing

• Catch basins for solids

• Reducing lot size

• Relocating feedlots

• Roofing

• Re-grading & seeding buffer areas

Roof Gutter

Filter Strip

Technical Team Partners Board of Water & Soil Resources

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Minnesota DNR Fisheries & Waters

Minnesota Department of Agriculture Minnesota Department of Health

Morrison County and SWCD Natural Resources Conservation

Service US Fish and Wildlife Service

William Walker Paul Garrison William James

LITTLE ROCK LAKE TMDL PROJECT TIMELINE

W i nt e r 201 0 Stakeholder NewsletterStakeholder Newsletter Lit t le Rock Lake TMDL Project

Little Rock Lake Native Vegetation Buffer Program

2

Little Rock Lake Association Mission

2

Little Rock Watershed Stakeholder Committee

2

Wastewater Treatment Strips

3

Other Watershed Friendly Programs

3

Little Rock Lake TMDL Project Public Meeting 4

I ns id e t his i ss ue :

LITTLE ROCK LAKE SHORELINE SURVEY

3% 1%

14%

59%

23%Buffer

Sand Beach

Rock Rip Rap

Natural Vegetation

Mowed to Shore

The categories are based on the following criteria:

Buffer (23%) vegetation extended approximately 15 feet from the shoreline.

Sand Beach (1%) Sand to the Shoreline.

Rock Rip Rap (14%) Rock along the shoreline (Important to note that majority of time it was mowed directly up to the rock rip rap).

Natural Vegetation (59%) mix of native plants, grasses, wildflowers, shrubs and trees.

Mowed to Shore (23%) Manicured lawn directly to shoreline or less than 15 feet of natural vegetation.

There is room for vast shoreline improvement. Natural Vegetation can be made more diverse with invasive specie control and more native buffers installed can lower the number of mowed to shore and rock rip rap areas.

In October 2010, Benton SWCD and partners from Little Rock Lake Association conducted a survey of Little Rock Lake’s Shoreline. Using Trimble GPS technology Little Rock Lake’s shoreline was classified into 5 different categories.

SAVE THE DATE!

January 5, 2011

Little Rock Lake Water Quality Project Public Meeting

See back for more details!

The Little Rock Lake Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Project officially began in 2008 with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) putting the lake on the MPCA Impaired Waters List. Little Rock Lake is impaired for excess nutrients.

June 2008 Benton Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) hosted a technical committee kickoff meeting collecting samples from the lake.

Since 2008, Benton SWCD and partners (see back) have been collecting new and historical data, as well as keeping the public informed and involved in the process.

Bill Walker has been busy taking ALL the data collected and using it to construct the modeling for Little Rock Lake. The modeling results will tell us what reductions will be required to meet Minnesota’s Water Quality Standard for Shallow Lakes in North Central Hardwood Forest Ecoregion.

The modeling results will be made public at the January 5th Water Quality Public meeting.

Funding for this publication made possible through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

The Association also sponsored a carp presentation conducted by Dr. Peter Sorensen, Professor of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology. Little Rock Lake Association is using the information in Dr Sorensen’s presentation to help guide them in controlling Little Rock Lakes Carp populations.

Visit their website: www.littlerocklake.org for meeting agendas, minutes and more.

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The Little Rock Watershed Stakeholder Committee was formed in 2010. Benton Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) gathered nominations from townships within the Little Rock Watershed, along with representation from Little Rock Lake Association, Trouts Unlimited, East Central Irrigation Association, New Heights Dairy, and Benton and Morrison County Commissioners. The 15 elected members either work or live within the Little Rock Watershed. The purpose of the Committee is to develop and implement management actions in the Little Rock Watershed related to the Little Rock Lake and Little Rock Creek Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) projects. The Committee has met twice this year and is set to meet again in December.

LITTLE ROCK WATERSHED STAKEHOLDER COMMITTEE

*Loss of wildlife habitat but an increase in nuisance animals (example Canada Geese)

*Loss of leisure time

Benton SWCD has a program designed to overcome these problems.

The Native Buffer Program is a voluntary program that encourages the creation of high quality shoreland and streambank buffers that protect water quality within the Little Rock Lake Watershed. A shoreland buffer is a naturally vegetated plot of land, located between the water's edge (lake, stream or wetland) and the land uphill. A shoreland buffer can be composed of a mix of native aquatic plants, grasses, wildflowers and/or shrubs and trees. Shoreland buffers provide benefits to people, the environment, wildlife, and aquatic life. Restored vegetation at the lake's edge restores the function of the ecosystem which originally protected the lake before it was altered by

Traditional lawns, while not particularly harmful, have few of the benefits compared to that of a more natural shoreline. Natural shorelines are wildlife highways! Traditional lawns are shallow rooted, which provide little wildlife habitat, need frequent maintenance and are often over-fertilized. These factors can lead to problems on your lake such as:

*Shoreline erosion and lake sedimentation

*Algal blooms and excessive aquatic plant growth

LITTLE ROCK LAKE ASSOCIATION MISSION

LITTLE ROCK LAKE NATIVE VEGETATION BUFFER PROGRAM

humans. Some of the benefits of a buffer include: filtering of pollutants such as sediment and phosphorous out of runoff from uphill land uses, prevent shoreline erosion by holding soil in place (native plants have deep root systems), provide habitat for wildlife, deter geese from congregating on the lakeshore, and they allow for more leisure time to relax and enjoy the nature of life at the lakeshore.

If interested in the Buffer Program please contact the Benton SWCD staff at 320 968 5300 extension 3.

Jim Hovda’s Lakeshore Buffer-Before Jim Hovda’s Lakeshore Buffer—After

The intent of this Corporation is to protect, maintain and improve the ground and surface water resources within the Little Rock watershed and adjacent Mississippi River

area by encouraging appropriate water use and shore land management practices.

Little Rock Lake Association has been working toward accomplishing their mission statement goals. In 2010, four Little Rock Lake Association Members installed Native buffers, totaling 375 linear feet. Two others have signed contracts, waiting to install in 2011.

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OTHER WATERSHED FRIENDLY PROGRAMS

Roof Gutter Grass Waterway

Filter Strip Tillage Residue

WASTEWATER TREATMENT STRIPS

Contact Information:

Phone: 320 968 5300 extension 3

Fax: 320 968 5304

Website: www.soilandwater.og

Benton SWCD and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) partner to protect and enhance Benton County’s soil, water and

other natural resources; to nurture a conservation ethic by educating county residents

on conservation and environmental issues.

Morrison Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) has recently installed two new Wastewater Treatment Strips for Gerald Bauer and Treve Sauer in the Little Rock Watershed. A Wastewater Treatment Strip is a Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Practice, defined as a treatment component of an agricultural waste management system consisting of a strip or area of herbaceous vegetation. According to NRCS code the purpose of this practice is to improve water quality by reducing loading of nutrients, organics,

pathogens, and other contaminants associated with animal manure, and other wastes, and wastewater by treating agricultural wastewater and runoff from livestock holdings areas. Morrison SWCD has also recently completed an additional Ag Waste Treatment project for Robert Meehl in the Little Rock Watershed.

Gerald Bauer—Large scale diary operation. Dairy cows are housed in a free stall barn and dry cows and feeder steers are on open lots. The open lots are now contained with concrete curbs and earthen diversions. The runoff is now transferred via intakes to a vegetated treatment area with dimensions of 45 feet by 213 feet.

Morrison SWCD has skilled staff and conservational programs available to help you with your conservational needs. Phone: 320 616 2479

Fax: 320 616 5401

Website: www.morrisonswcd.org

Treve Sauer—Moderate size dairy operation. Earthen basin is now abandoned and removed, above ground slurrystore tank installed to store manure from the dairy barn. Outdoor lots are now curbed and diverted and run-off is transferred to a vegetated waste water treatment strip with dimensions of 70 by 213 feet.

Robert Meehl—Moderate size dairy operation. An earthen storage basin installed to collect manure and milkhouse waste from the dairy barn. Outside lots are now diverted to collect and send run-off to the storage basin. Some of the lots are abandoned. Clean water was diverted from flowing into the open lots as well.

Program Highlights: Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP): Agricultural producers looking to solve nutrient resource problems on their farms should contact their local Natural Resources Conservation Service Office soon to apply for assistance. State Cost Share Program: There is currently money available for approved conservation practices such as: Grass Waterways, Feedlot Runoff Control, Sediment Retention, Erosion or Water Control, Wetland Restorations, Sealing Abandoned Wells and many more. Please contact your Benton SWCD office for more details. Benton SWCD and NRCS have well trained technical staff and a wide range of programs available to help you with your conservational needs.

Recipient Name

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

City, State, Zip

Benton SWCD 14 2nd Avenue West

Little Rock Lake TMDL Project

LITTLE ROCK LAKE WATER QUALITY PROJECT PUBLIC MEETING

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 1:30 PM—3:30 PM OR 6:00 PM—8:00 PM Sauk Rapids-Rice Middle School Community Art Center 901 1st Street South Sauk Rapids, MN 56379

Phone: 320-968-5300 ext. 3 Fax: 320-968-5304

www.soilandwater.org

Technical Team Partners Benton County and SWCD

Board of Water & Soil Resources Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Minnesota DNR Fisheries & Waters

Minnesota Department of Agriculture Minnesota Department of Health

Morrison County and SWCD Natural Resources Conservation

Service US Fish and Wildlife Service

William Walker Paul Garrison William James

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs). Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

You Are Invited!

Join us for presentations on water quality study results and future goals.

All opinions are vital!!! Speak up during the open discussion session regarding Little Rock Lake’s restoration plan.

An open house will be held after the presentations. Displays, publications, education materials, and refreshments will be available.

PROJECT

HIGHLIGHTS

TIMELINE

June 2008 - June 2011

PURPOSE

Identify source of excessive phosphorus in Little Rock

Lake

RESULT

Develop a plan for restoring Little Rock Lake to a level

which will meet water quality standards

PROJECT LEAD

Benton SWCD