08-10-1998 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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From Cy*t"*:a Kr'oj Communications To Caunai Jatsour Oa'» S/5'ee Tlm« 12 32 50 AM Paaa 2 of 3 MINNEHAHA CAHIC WATERSHED DISTRICT VOLUME 3, NO. 2 AUGUST 1 998 m • * MIW STRttCTUKl TO MtlT HtW DIMANDS MOW’D has a long history of change. In our earliest days, managers themselves were responsible for the District’s day*to*day activities. Ours svas a working board, like many boards, are in the young and growing years. During our "young adult ’* years we hired consultants to help us with increasingly technical work. In recent years we’ve evolved into what, might be called "middle age.” The volume and comple.xity of MCWT) projeets requires us to engage professional staff to ensure a consistent, and concentrated focus on our projects. The role of managers is now moving toward policy setting and the oversight of staff. This shift in focas has been encouraged by staff and elected officials by the cities, counties and state agencies with whom we work. In May. as pan of this shift, we established liaisons between tlie MCWD Board of Managers and our member cities and townships. Each manager will regularly contact their assigned cities to share relevant infonnation and plans. MCWD staff will continue to work directly with the city’s staff. We are confident this will improve communication and enhance policy*level contacts. Managers have also revised an earlier MCWT) committee structure. WTiere several internally-oriented, project focused committees functioned, we now have two standing committees of the whole. The .\dministrative Committee will handle maters of finance, personnel and communications. *1116 Program Committee will address rules, complaints, violations and the watershed management plan .Managers also accepted liaison assignments to a number of other organizations including citizen groups, agencies, joint powers organizations, study and monitoring groups, as well as the Minnesota .Association of V'atershcd Districts and the .Metropolitan Council Land Use Advisors Committee. W’e e.xpect that these decisions will help us work more effectively with ow many partners to better manage our water resources. If you Itave any suggestions or questions, or if you’d like to know which manager is liaison to a particular city or oi-ganization. please call the MCWD at 471-0590. Pamela Bli.\t. President lok0 Tr0at0d tP Improv0 lVof#r Clarity In mid-.\pril LangJon Lake. Mound, was treated with aluminum sulfate, or alum. The treatment is applied by a slow-mo\ ing boat while crisscrossing the lake .Alum must be applied on still days. Was c action from boats or the wind can make the application uneven and ineffectisc Alum absorbs dissolved phosphorus and gr.iduallv sinks to the bottom. There, .slum continues to absorb pollutants piesenting them from remi.xing and being asailable to nourish algae .AJum is proven to be effective in treating water as well as safe for people and wildlife. Remos ing phosphoius from the water not only impros es the clarity of Langdon Lake. It also prevents degradation of water quality in Cook’s Bay immediately downstream. Langdon Lake was selected for treatment because it displayed the worst water quality of all the lakes in the District. Unfortunately, the lake receiv ed municipal discharge for many years. Recreation.ll uset^ h.ne been discouraged bv the alsae blooms, poor clarity and foul odors caused by the excess nutrients. MCWD has been pleased with the improvement alreadv shown in Langdon Lake's water claritv. Mimmekaka Creek WaierskeJ DistrUtt Imfrowimg QmalSiy el Water, OmaKtf el iHe