06-25-1990 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Management Plan Page Seven Environmental Protection One of the major objectives of the environmental protection section of the Management Program is to encourage cities to minimize the impacts of pollution on Lake Minnetonka water quality by controlling stormwater run-off. The LMCD will require that cities adopt stormwater management plan provisions which include the 509 Plan. This objective should not be detrimental to Minnetonka since the 1982 Stormwater Management Plan contains many of the points raised in the section of the Program. Additionally, as the Council is aware, staff is preparing amendments to the Storm Water Ma lagement Plan to include the water quality standards that are now required by the 509 Plan. However, the LMCD plan also suggests that lakeshore communities adopt fertilizer and pesticide ordinances for all properties around the lakes. In reviewing water quality issues for the golf course project, staff found that the adoption of a fertilizer or pesticide ordinance in only a limited area of the City is not only difficult but seems unfair. Additionally, this type of ordinance is extremely difficult to enforce and may not obtain the intended objectives. The reason is that there has been little long term research done on the effects of run-off from lawns into water bodies. To date, it is unknown if water quality is degraded by fertilizers, pesticides, acid rain or other types of run-off that enter the Lake. If the Council is interested in adopting such an ordinance, it is suggested that it be adopted city-wide rather than just along the Minnetonka lakeshore. Staff also believes that the environmental protection portion of the Program is somewhat misfocused. While communities should be required to reduce the impacts of untreated run-off into the Lake, a complete water quality study is needed on Lake Minnetonka to determine the problems before an implementation program is developed. The environmental protection implementation plan should be based upon the proposed uses of the lake and should be viewed from a regional standpoint rather than just a local one. Summary Staff has met with LMCD representatives to discuss the issues that are raised in this report. Many of the responses to the issues imply that further work is needed. The proposed Long Term Management Program is a draft and the LMCD Board proposes to review all comments from the cities before a final draft >v