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r <br />MINNEHAHA CREEK <br />WATERSHED DISTRICT <br />^/#ED 0'^ <br />14600 Minnetonka Boulevard <br />Minnetonka, Minnesota 55345*1597 <br />office; (612)939-6320 fax: (612)939-8244 LAKl M!HN£TON»til <br />DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR: Ellen B Sores <br />BOARD OF MANAGERS: Thomas Map»e Jf P ts •€ WoocJ'ow Love • John E Thomas <br />Cta'ksor Lirdiev • Txmas W LaBo'in;y • Martha S Hart^e • Pamela G Bii*t <br />Long Lake Improvement Project <br />Recommendations <br />Long Lake spans 271 acres in the CHies of Loiig Lake and Orono. <br />Bordered by private land, sandy beaches, wetlands, and city parks, the lake <br />averages 12 feet deep widi a maximum of 33 feet, inviting thousands of people <br />for swimming f’shing, and boating. However. Long Lake is increasingly <br />burdened bv algae, turbidity, low oxygen in bottom waters, and a population of <br />rough fish like carp, bullheads, and suckers. Tlie State's system to cltissify the <br />water qualih/ for use Indicates the lake is now borderline for swimming. <br />The Long Lake Improvement Project is being initiated b> the Minnehaha <br />Creek Watershed District. The goal of the project is to improve the lalce's <br />appearance, enhance swimmable conditions and fishing, and improve tiie <br />quality of water discharged to Lake Minnetonka 2 miles downstream. Studies <br />on the lake ’s problems and restoration options were completed by the District <br />in 1993. with implementation scheduled to begin in 1995. Based on the <br />following recommendations, phosphorus (the primary' contaminant causing <br />water quality problems) is expected to drop significantly. <br />Reco o lu 11 ;ndation :Treat Lake Water <br />(Reduce Internal Phosphorus Loading ) <br />Phosphorus is an important lake contaminant that supports algal <br />growth. It comes from the lake ’s bottom sediments (the "internal loaiding j and <br />from stonnwater runoff (the "external loading"). Adding oxygen to bottom <br />waters is vital to reduce internal loads, so submerged "hypolimnetic" aerators <br />are recommended for the lake ’s two main basins. Ferric chloride would also be <br />added to the lake hypolimnion to achieve a 3:1 iron to phosphorus ratio <br />optimal for phosphorus removal.