Little Green Lake Adaptive Management Committee

November 6, 2010 Minutes

Present:  Doug Baker, Dave Chroust, Gregg Cygnar, Aaron Gruenewald, Sally Kefer (minute writer), Dick Schneider

Not Present: Randy Brehmer

1.    Motion to adopt 10- 9-10 minutes as written, seconded with all in favor.

2.    Discussion of aquatic plant management, both status of herbicide application and harvesting equipment. Herbicide application is on target per the multi-year grant. 

a)    Discussion of harvester equipment and need for increasing efficiency relative to quantity of plant removal, decreasing the amount of time spent transporting weeds to the load out locations and improving access to difficult shallow areas that are weed choked (in bays, public landings, docks).  Staff are doing excellent job maintaining equipment they have. 

b)    In line with the draft LGL aquatic management plan that sets goals for aquatic plant reduction, the committee wants to consider application for a Waterway Commission grant to upgrade equipment through obtaining a smaller harvester that would allow for better and safer lake access for fishing, recreational boating and navigation by lake property owners.  Both harvesters and skimmers run around $70,000 – 80,000 in cost.

c)    Group discussed the efficiency of current conveyor at load out sites.  There are three load out sites which limits transporting of weeds away from the lake due to having only one truck available.  Committee will ask Mike to investigate the option/costs of a second truck rental and an additional driver and to consider whether land filling weeds is the only option.  Are there farmers or other options for disposition of weeds? 

d)    The purchase of new equipment requires approval at the annual Rehabilitation District meeting due to the cost and therefore a grant request may be delayed until 2011.   

e)    Committee will investigate equipment options at the Dec. 4 or 11 meeting.  Manufacturers will be invited to make about 1 hour presentations with demonstration videos and potential equipment review.

3.    Committee discussed draft aquatic management plan.  Aaron asked AMC members to provide any additional comments the week of Nov. 8.  Aaron informed the group that DNR has reviewed and is requesting that quantitative performance measures be included before the plan can be finalized. Need for plan to include:  

a)    Goals (mapped?) for plant reduction in % figures over time (5 year increments).

b)    Description of how the expansion of the linear footage of natural shoreline will be tracked.

c)    Write up the status of, and anticipated future of, water quality testing and (once it’s up and running again) how it will tie in with aquatic plant reduction results.  NOTE: LGL on list for equipment for 2011.

4.    Committee asked whether farmers in LGL watershed use contour tilling and other practices that reduce phosphorous and sediment from running off.  Jim Hebbe with Conservation Dept. will be contacted to explore this.  Sally will report back to committee.