Edina, Minn. - With a busload of 25 people and enough sun to fight off the rain, the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District Board of Managers hosted its annual field trip Thursday afternoon, October 3^rd. It started from Arneson Acres in Edina, and the Board of Managers and guests visited Smetana Lake in Eden Prairie, various sites for water quality treatment ponds in Minnetonka, and a private property along the creek in Edina.

The nearly finished Smetana lake project in Eden Prairie was completed in two phases. Phase 1 of the Smetana Lake project, completed in 2000, was the construction of the permanent outlet control structure. This two-tier drop structure controls the normal water level of Smetana Lake at elevation 835 Mean Sea Level. Phase 2 of the project, finished this year, completed the 1.6 mile bituminous trail around the lake and provided park amenities. The park area includes a picnic shelter, an overlook deck and playground equipment.

"The overall goal of the project was to establish a normal water elevation for the lake and raise the lake level for water quality and recreational uses," noted Bob Obermeyer, Nine Mile Creek Watershed District Engineering Consultant.

The City of Minnetonka recently petitioned the District to undertake a project to improve the water quality of Glen Lake, Lone Lake, Minnetoga Lake, Shady Oak Lake and Woodgate Pond. For this project, construction of several water quality treatment ponds is proposed. These ponds will be within the watershed of each lake and will treat storm water runoff prior to reaching each lake.

On the field trip, managers and guests visited the locations of these proposed treatment ponds, both on public and private property, to view existing conditions. "The District and City will work with private property owners in a few of the proposed sites. Field work should be completed this fall; construction documents will be prepared this winter; and it is anticipated that construction will commence next spring," Obermeyer commented.

At the residence of Ray Clarke at 6609 Cahill Road in Edina, guests viewed a recently completed stream bank stabilization project. This site, before it was corrected, was on the itinerary for last year’s field trip. The City of Edina worked with Clarke to complete a project that stabilized a portion of the creek bank with a filter and limestone rip-rap. Existing stabilizing measures, which had failed in the past, were removed as part of this project.

"The natural stream channel of Nine Mile Creek, like all creeks, meanders over time, and in certain instances, corrective measures are necessary to stabilize portions of the creek that continue to erode as part of this natural process. This stabilization project will minimize future creek bank erosion from occurring within this reach of the creek," said Obermeyer to the guests.

After the tour, managers and guests reconvened at Arneson Acres for dinner and a presentation by Scott Sobiech, an engineer with Barr Engineering. The presentation focused on the methods and outcomes of several important studies done by the Watershed District, which will shape water management decisions and future spending.

Sobiech explained to the guests that during the past five years, the Watershed District has monitored and sampled the creek and lakes within the Watershed District boundaries. The data from each water body is analyzed, and additional characteristics are noted, such as plant and wildlife habitat, development within the drainage area of the lake, nutrient loading into the lake from the watershed and from within the lake itself, and primary use of the lake (such as swimming, fishing or boating, for example).

"The Watershed District then completes what is called a Use Attainablilty Analysis (UAA), and applies ‘Best Management Practices’ to maintain and improve the water quality of the creek or lake, with the goal of making recommendations to achieve the best possible use of the creek or lake using current technologies," noted Obermeyer.

"With the MPCA [Minnesota Pollution Control Agency] amending its water quality assessment procedures, and both the MPCA and the EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] updating their listing of what they call ‘impaired waters,’ these studies will assist in managing the new agency expectations. The Nine Mile managers want to share their experience and insight from these studies with the public and with these agencies," noted Nine Mile Creek Watershed District Chair LuAnn Tolliver.

Nine Mile Creek Watershed District encompasses Nine Mile Creek and many of the surrounding lakes in most of Edina and Bloomington, and portions of Minnetonka, Eden Prairie, Hopkins and Richfield. Since it was started in 1956, its mission has been to maintain and enhance water quality and protect residents from flooding.

Residents of the District are invited to attend the Nine Mile Creek Board of Manager’s regular meetings on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at Edina City Hall in the City Council Chambers. The Nine Mile Creek Citizens’ Advisory Committee (CAC), chaired by Geoff Nash, welcomes participation from anyone interested in water issues. The CAC also meets the third Wednesday of each month in the same location, but at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit the website at www.ninemilecreek.org

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