02-11-2019 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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February 11, 2019 Dear Mayor Walsh, Orono City Council, and Adam Edwards; I am writing to update you on some of the most recent activities in the Long Lake Creek Watershed and let you know what the next step would be to move towards Phase 2 of the Carp Project in the watershed. In December at a Long Lake Creek Partnership meeting, Tony Havraneck from WSB reported the findings of the 2018 Carp Phase 1 Project on Long Lake (short report attached). If you would like the full report I can email a you a copy. The Phase 1 Project (May -November) was part of a larger effort by the Long Lake Creek Sub-watershed Partnership (LLCP) as one of several strategies to improve water quality. Phase 1 had two objectives: (1) implant 10 high frequency radio transmitters to document carp movement to identify migration routes and winter aggregations for carp removal and (2) develop a carp population and biomass estimate. The Phase 1 Project cost approximately $14,000 and was funded by the cities of Long Lake and Medina and LLWA. The data indicate the levels of carp in the Long Lake are 4 to 5 times the threshold level that impacts water quality and ecological integrity. The data supports the ongoing work that Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) is doing to develop a comprehensive long range watershed management plan. The Phase 1 project also added momentum to help leverage a larger grant which was awarded in December to MCWD and the LLCP to work in the northern part of the Long Lake Creek Watershed. The Phase 1 Carp Project was a very positive collaborative project including many community volunteers and Orono high school students. From the WSB report, the estimated number of carp in Long Lake is approximately 17,000, equivalent to about 167,000 lbs or 570 lbs/acre. Ecological damage is projected for values of 89 lbs./acre. One management option is to remove a large number of carp from the lake. This process can be done using commercial fishing in the winter under the ice or in the spring using boats in open water. WSB would be hired to be the biomass removal supervisor and they conducted a carp survey in January and mapped the location of the fish (map attached) to aid this effort. We are asking the partners of the LLCP, including the Cities of Orono, Medina, Long Lake, and MCWD to support the important Phase 2 Carp Project to reduce the number of carp in the watershed. Because there are variables during a biomass removal, the total cost of the project will range between $6,180 and $11,180. LLWA held a community fundraising event at Birches and also participated in Give to The Max Day in November to raise funds for this effort. Using these contributions, LLWA will contribute $5,000 to a winter or spring biomass removal. The costs to each of the other partners would be between $295 up to $1545, depending on the amount of fish captured. Attached is the biomass removal budget. Please let me know if you have any questions. For a small investment by each of the partners and LLWA providing a large portion of the cost - by working together, we can have a very positive impact. I look forward to talking with you about the biomass removal and I hope the LLCP can count on Orono’s support for the Phase 2 Project towards improving the water quality and lowering phosphorus loads in Long Lake. Thank you very much. Megan Dayton Long Lake Waters Association 612-201-7673