02-27-2017 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION DATE: February 27, 2017 ITEM NO: 3 Department Approval: Administrator Reviewed: Agenda Section: Name Adam Edwards NZ Public Works Director/ Title Public Works Director/City Engineer Parks Director Report Item Description: Long Lake Creek Subwatershed Partnership Exhibits. 1. Draft Resolution 2. Grant Pre -application Information. 3. Map of the Tanager Lake/Long Lake Subwatershed 1. Purpose. The purpose of this council action is to gain council approval to partner with Long Lake, Medina and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) to pursue a Hennepin County Natural Resources Opportunity Grant. 2. Background. A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) was established for Long Lake Creek and Tanager Lake. This TMDL was established as a result of a study of the Upper Minnehaha Creek Watershed, which Long Lake Creek ultimately discharges to. The TMDL includes a nutrient load reduction allocation that Cities are required to show progress toward meeting. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has set a load reduction goal of 125lbs/yr. The City of Medina, City of Long Lake, Hennepin County, and MnDOT have also been assigned nutrient load reduction goals. In April of 2016, the Orono City Council passed a resolution to partner with Long Lake and Medina to explore opportunities to apply for grants and collaboratively complete larger regional projects to meet these goals. Over the past year the partnership has been working on identifying potential grant opportunities and agency partners to improve water quality in the sub watershed. The Hennepin County Environmental and Energy Department offers a grant named the "Hennepin County Natural Resources "Opportunity" Grant" to undertake assessments that will lead to sitting implementable projects that will address identified natural resource management problems. A carp assessment study has emerged and is providing all partners an opportunity to leverage resources and skills to improve water quality in the sub watershed. The Long Lake Sub -watershed Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) that was allocated by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) makes this grant a good potential funding source to tag, track, and harvest carp in the network. Following the proposed project, the participating cities should receive credit from the MPCA towards their TMDL goals previously set. 3. Proposal. The grant would partially fund a three year study of the impact of carp on the watershed. Carp are known to degrade water quality by stirring up bottom sediment and uprooting aquatic vegetation, which exasperates internal loading issues and causes ecological damage. The study would occur over a three year time period and focus on collecting data on the impact carp are having on the sub watershed and develop proposals for future management. See Exhibit B for more information about the grant and study. 4. Cost. The estimated cost of the study is $220,000 including administration, tracking, and harvesting. 5. Funding. Funding for the study is proposed to be split between the grant and partner agencies. Funding is proposed through the Hennepin County grant and partnership contributions. The maximum