03/22/2004 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Search

Over the course of the last 100 years, this area has been farmed. The eastern shoreline of Peltier Lake is primarily single family residential with the exception of northern end of the lake. Some of the agricultural land has been converted to housing developments in the upland areas, specifically on 77'. Street and Rehbein Street ;Other significant natural features included the Anoka County. Rice Creek Chain -of -Lakes Regional Park Reserve and Peltier Island. The Anoka County Chain of Lakes Regional Park is located adjacent to the conservation easement area .;:. and continues north of. Peltier Lake. This large band of lakes and wetlands offers a contiguous; natural: corridor for the conservation and preservation of species native to this area Also of interest is the remnant pre - settlement vegetation remaining on the island in Peltier Lake just west of The easement area. This stand of good quality maple basswood forest is, part of the Rice Creek Chain -of -Lakes Regional Park Reserve owned and managed by Anoka County Parks.. The island is noteworthy for the presence of a nesting colony of Great Blue Herons and Great: Egrets, a bald eagle breeding territory and a variety of nesting songbirds.':: A review of the records of the Colonial Waterbird Database maintained by the MN Department of Natural Resources indicates that the first reports of heron nesting activity on Peltier Island was the observation of 12 Great Heron nests in 1989. In Morch 1993, the first comprehensive ground count of nests was conducted by DNR volunteers Matt and Angie Maida. The count recorded 600 + 50 nests. All these nests were presumed to be Great Blue Heron nests as Great Egrets were first observed nesting at this site in May.1993 The substantial increase in the size of the Peltier island colony from 1989 Through 1993 was coincident with the 1992 abandonment of the heron rookery at, Rice Lake (situated 5.6 km to the southeast and the gradual demise (1988 through 1993) of the mixed species Howard Lake rookery situated 8.8 km to the north. It is believed that the Peltier heron colony formed from the birds that relocated to the island . as the other two colony sites were abandoned due to wind damage and human disturbance at these upland sites. (fide J. Galli, MN. .DNR) In the spring of 1999, Mr. Art Hawkins was employed by The DNR to monitor the nesting activity of the birds at the Peltier Island colony. He first noted that the herons and egrets nesting at. Peltier Island were traveling to The abandoned farm field in the conservation easement to gather nesting material.' Subsequently, Anoka County Parks has provided supplemental nesting material at the field each spring. This field is very :important because it Is so close to the heron colony making it easy for The birds to collect nesting materials within flying great distances. (fide J. Galli MN DNR) SITE INVENTORY The Anoka Conservation District inventoried the area contained within the Eagle Brook Conservation Easement in 2001 as part of a citywide land cover inventory using. the Minnesota Land Cover Classification System. A more detailed site inventory still needs to be conducted. The existence of pre - settlement natural communities will needs to be determined. Remnants of the wet meadow community and /or maple- basswood community may still be found in the conservation easement area..,: <. An initial site inventory was conducted in October 2003. The lowland hardwood forest contains primarily Block Ash, Aspen and Priddy Alder. Species found in the understory still need to be documented. There is a cattail marsh located on the south side of the forested wetland. Patches of reed canary grass were noted on the north and south side of -this marsh area. : , The field area is composed of winter rye and weeds such as thistle- Over the past five years, the field has been planted with winter rye in effort to control noxious weeds and to provide an area for Great Blue Herons to collect nesting material. DRAFT Eagle Brook Conservation Area Management Plan 3/17/2004;