05-05-25 - Council Work Session Agenda

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Most residents living with back yards abutting the pond do have some vegetative buffers in place, which should help limit nutrients from the closest back yards from reaching the lake 2. Mechanical removal of vegetation would involve the physical removal of vegetation with a skimming device or nets. This would remove some of the nutrients from the pond, and it would have similar results to herbicide and algaecide application without the negative impacts associated with chemical use. Residents have expressed interest in treating this pond, citing the aesthetic quality of two ponds on private land nearby that receive treatments with algaecide and herbicide. These are storm pond RLA-013-A, located south of the Red Hawk Trail cul-de-sac, and an unnamed pond located directly north of Birchwood Acres Park ballfield. Residents have petitioned 100% of the adjacent private property of the pond and agreed to share in the cost of treatments privately. There would be no cost to the city for the residents to privately treat the pond. They have received a proposal from Lake Management, Inc. to complete the treatment. The proposal is attached. ANAI VCIC The City of Lino Lakes is permitted as a Municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). In order to discharge stormwater into the storm sewer system and ultimately into surface waters the city is required to meet six minimum control measures (MCM). MCM 5 requires post construction stormwater management. This relates to the water entering the storm sewer and being treated by city bmp's or in this case stormwater ponds. Stormwater ponds are designed to capture sediment, nutrients, and other pollutants to settle them out of the water column before discharging to adjacent wetlands, lakes, and streams. Stormwater ponds contain nutrients and through plant growth helps to absorb the phosphorus. This is typical of stormwater ponds and an indication that the pond is performing as intended and capturing pollutants that would otherwise reach surface waters. The concern of treating a city owned pond is that the treatment could have a negative impact of the stormwater leaving the pond. This could lead to pollution and sedimentation downstream. The city would be liable for any impacts caused by the treatment to the cities stormwater management system.