Lake Hiawatha water quality discussed at community meeting

Residents learn about the factors affecting water quality, and discover poisons and chemicals from trash aren’t being measured

Posted

 

IMG_7622crowdSm

How healthy is Lake Hiawatha?

It depends on the year.

During a meeting at Lake Hiawatha Park Recreation Center on Dec. 9, residents learned about the factors the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board (MPRB) measures and what’s being done farther upstream to help Minnehaha Creek. The meeting was organized by the Standish-Ericsson Neighborhood Association.

While MPRB and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) are focused on pollutants such as phosphorus, residents concerned about all the trash in the lake are banding together to form the Friends of Lake Hiawatha.

A drop of water

Because it is connected to the creek, water in Lake Hiawatha comes from the entire western Hennepin County area, draining 7.5 million acres where 340,000 people live.

While a drop of water in a lake such as the Chain of Lakes stays there for three years, in Lake Hiawatha it is only there one week. Because of that, the clarity of the water is better than one might expect from a shallow lake.

IMG_7629LisaCerneySmAccording to Lisa Cerney (photo left), director of surface water and sewers for the MPRB, there are six pipe outfalls that drain stormwater from an area south of Lake St. into Lake Hiawatha.

The city has completed several projects in the last few years to help hold water that drains off streets during rainstorms and to help filter pollutants, such as oils. The Bancroft Meadows flood basin was built at Bloomington and 42nd in 1989, and the Sibley Field flood basin in 1990. Both of these were in response to major flooding from storms in 1987.

“The hard part with water quality is you can’t snap your fingers and make it better,” remarked Cerney.

IMG_7635RachelCrabbSmMPRB monitors phosphorus

“We’re living with a very different system than we had before,” pointed out Rachel Crabb (photo right) of the MPRB. Before 1850, the creek was highly meandered, twisting and turning on its way between Gray’s Bay on Lake Minnetonka and the Mississippi River. The area also had more empty space and fewer homes. In 1929, Lake Hiawatha was dredged, and the creek reshaped to fit the city’s grid. The main change to the lake since then is a delta near the mouth of the creek due to erosion upstream, but it benefits the lake because it is a wildlife habitat, observed Crabb.

“Lake Hiawatha is the only lake in Minneapolis that is connected to Minnehaha Creek, and is significantly impacted by the creek,” remarked Crabb.

MPRB regular monitors the lake level, phosphorus load, and clarity. It also pays attention to aquatic diversity and the number of zebra mussels, which were found in the lake in 2013.

The most significant source of phosphorus are fertilizers, followed by organic materials such as leaves and mulch. The study being done now at the golf course will answer the question of how much phosphorus the Lake Hiawatha Golf Course contributes to the lake.

Lake levels can fluctuate up to five vertical feet from 810 to 816 feet elevation. This fluctuation directly affects what type of vegetation can grow near the shore. The lake is 30 feet at its deepest spot.

Data shows that in years when the lake water is the lowest, the water scores higher on the Trophic State Index (TSI), which indicate more algae, phosphorus, and chlorophyll. The TSI typically fluctuates between 58 and 60, according to Crabb.

“Without the influence of the creek, the lake can turn green very early,” observed Crabb.

The beach is monitored weekly from June to August and closed when E. coli bacteria exceeds the state standard. The health of the beach is typically worse when we have lots of rain washing bacteria from people, pet waste, wild animals, the creek and stormwater into Lake Hiawatha, said Crabb.

“If you are in a foot of water, and you can’t see your feet, don’t swim,” advised Crabb.

MPRB pays close attention to the aquatic plant diversity in Lake Hiawatha, particularly which plants can be found, where and how many there are. Some years, there aren’t many plants. In 2009, it was a banner year for diversity.

Fluctuations in the lake are due in part to the population of European carp, according to Crabb. The carp disrupt the aquatic plant beds. In summers after a winterkill, more plants grow.

More larger projects than smaller

In 1998, the Blue Water Commission determined that large-scale projects would do more to benefit Lake Hiawatha and Minnehaha Creek than smaller projects, Crabb pointed out.

Where the creek begins in Gray’s Bay, the water quality is very good. But the water quality gets significantly worse at West 34th and Excelsior Blvd. in Hopkins and St. Louis Park.

IMG_7637BeckyChristopherSm“There is a lot of industrial use in that area and a lot of hard cover right up to the lake,” explained Becky Christopher (photo left) of the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD).

The Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), the measure used to determine pollution, jumps from 2,500 pounds to 4,000 pounds. It cumulates at over 6,000 pounds at Lake Hiawatha.

MCWD has focused its efforts on improving water quality in that area, and has recently installed stormwater ponds and underground treatment facilities with the goal of reducing the TMDL by one-third. “We’re making good progress, but we still have some ways to go,” said Christopher.

IMG_7599MollyMcCartneySmWhat can the community do?

“There’s a lot of heightened awareness of the lake and water quality issues,” observed Standish-Ericsson Neighborhood Association (SENA) President Molly McCartney (photo left). She pointed out that SENA has been part of efforts to help clean up the lake for over 10 years. SENA has sponsored an Earth Day clean-up for the past few years, and it helped manage a storm drain stenciling project this summer.

Residents can work to keep stormwater where it lands through rain gardens and pervious surface pavers. Grant funds for projects are available, as are utility bill credits. Clean up leaves, grass clippings, and trash in streets and alleys, and consider becoming a water steward, Christopher recommended. The Annual Creek Clean-up is set for July 24, 2016.

This year, Minneapolis will unveil its new Adopt-A-Catch-Basin program, which encourages residents to keep catch basins clean and clear. Cerney pointed out that one of the biggest problems are boulevard gardens. When the mulch is mounded on top, the mulch slides off and collects in the catch basin, forming blockages. Cerney encouraged people to call 3-1-1 if they see that a drain is blocked. Residents are advised to sweep or rake debris from around catch basins and dispose of in the trash.

The city also sweeps the streets twice a year to help keep debris out of the stormwater sewer system.

Residents questioned what is being done to monitor how trash coming in via the stormwater sewer culvert affects the lake quality. One woman mentioned that when she kayaks on the lake she sees trash sinking and another sees tiny pieces of plastic being eaten by wildlife.

Crabb responded that MPRB does not collect data on trash, chemical pollutants or poisons, and did not know of any studies done on small lakes. Because this is not a drinking water source, the lake is not held to those standards. Fish are tested by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

A resident suggested that given the size of Lake Hiawatha perhaps the community couldn’t expect that it get off the impaired water list, and perhaps effort should be concentrated on the garbage issue.

IMG_7642SeanSm“There is still no commitment to mitigate the storm sewer that’s bringing in the garbage. I believe that these agencies want clean water but are heavily focused on non-point source solutions,” said neighborhood resident Sean Connaughty (photo right) after the meeting. “They are not yet willing to commit to serious intervention at the outfall source.”

Friends of Lake Hiawatha group forming

In part because of that, Connaughty and fellow neighborhood resident Ryan Seibold are forming the Friends of Lake Hiawatha. The first meeting of the Friends of Lake Hiawatha was held on Dec. 17. “We hope to employ the expertise of community members who can assist in implementing solutions through advocacy, volunteer work, scientific study, research, outreach and whatever other needs become apparent as things progress,” said Connaughty.

Connaughty pointed out that goals for the group include getting mitigation of the major storm sewer outfall that brings pollutants into the lake from South Minneapolis’ streets. “Additionally, we will be working systemically to address myriad aspects that are contributing to the poor health of Lake Hiawatha,” he said.

“Raising awareness in all communities in Hiawatha’s sub-watershed helping the community to realize that we are the source of the lake’s degradation.”

Connaughty added, “We will also be working for a healthy and symbiotic use of the land around the lake as it is redesigned in the coming years. We will advocate for increased habitat for wildlife and the elimination of the use of harmful chemicals on the land around Lake Hiawatha.”

To learn about future meetings, email friendsoflakehiawatha@gmail.com, like on Facebook group or follow on Twitter.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here