How can you determine if your favorite local lake is safe for fishing and swimming? Though water quality data is collected and updated regularly, finding the information online isn’t terribly intuitive.
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All articles filed in Aquatic Biology
Forest Lake alum treatment scheduled for September
This fall, the Comfort Lake-Forest Lake Watershed District (CLFLWD) will be conducting an alum treatment on Forest Lake to address phosphorus in the lake bottom sediments that contribute to algae growth. Alum (potassium aluminum sulfate) is a nontoxic compound that is also used for drinking water clarification.
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Feeling Loony in Forest Lake
At the Forest Lake Lake Association (FLLA) meeting on Wednesday, May 17, 6:30-8pm, Rob Rabasco, coordinator of Minnesota’s Loon Restoration Project, will talk about efforts underway to protect loon habitat across the state, augment natural loon nesting with artificial nesting platforms in targeted locations, implement loon-friendly lake management plans, and increase survival rates for loon chicks. Robasco is one of three invited speakers for the event.
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Be AIS smart this fishing season
Currently, only 8% of the lakes in Minnesota have invasive species present and we need everyone’s help to keep it that way.
If you use waders or hip boots when fishing, be sure to clean off any visible aquatic plants, animals, and mud when you’re done and use a stiff brush to scrub the bottom of your boots where mud gets stuck in the treads. Using non-felt soled boots will further reduce the risk of spreading AIS.
It is also important to dispose of unwanted bait, worms, and fish parts in the trash instead of throwing them in the water or on the shore.
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Meet the rare plants and animals of Washington County
Minnesota is home to 2000 known native wildlife species, 346 of which are identified as Species in Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN).
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A healthy shore is a happy lake
Shoreline landscaping workshops: April 18 and May 8
In the Land of 10,000 lakes, more and more lakeshore landowners are turning toward natural solutions that combine bio-engineering with deep-rooted, native plants to stabilize the land along the water’s edge while also maintaining connected corridors of habitat for beneficial insects, fish, birds, frogs, turtles, and other kinds of wildlife
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Trout return to Afton’s Trout Brook
The stream restoration project creates different types of habitat that fish need, including deep pools with slow-moving water, shallow riffles with fast, turbulent water running over rocks, and runs with deep, fast water and little to no turbulence.
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An end to fish favoritism?
This spring, Minnesota lawmakers consider new legislation, known as the “No Junk Fish” bill, which would provide funding for the DNR to study native fish species that are currently classified as rough fish and propose updated regulations to better manage and protect their populations.
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A very hygge holiday?
Most often, you experience hygge with a small group of friends or family, possibly in front of a fireplace with warm wooly socks and a steaming drink in hand, but definitely not behind the wheel of a car, careening through rush hour traffic in the middle of an ice storm.
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New study finds that plastic pollution is pervasive in National Parks across the United States
Plastic makes up 81% of all trash collected in National Parks and federal lands.
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East Metro Water 