Spring Lake - Introduction of Water

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Item No. 2 Meeting Date: July 2, 2007 Type of Business: WK WK: Work Session; PH: Public Hearing,- CA: earing;CA: Consent Agenda; CB, Council Business City Administrator Review To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: Greg Lee, Director of Public Works Item Title/Subject: Spring Lake — Lake Owners Association Resident Presentation Introduction of Water into Spring Lake /!/deed Abatement Background: Historically the water level of Spring Lake was augmented with introduction of ground water pumped from an aquifer. This practice was banned by the state in the 1990's. Since then the concept of introducing water in to Spring Lake to augment the water level from other sources such as the Mississippi River has been a re- occurring issue that surfaces every few years when water levels decrease as a result of a period of below normal rainfall. The last time this was an issue was the spring of 2002. See attached report dated April 2002. 2002 was a wetter than normal year in terms of rainfall and the water level of Spring Lake rebounded naturally. As a result, no further action was taken by various by the homeowners adjacent to the lake. Discussion: A meeting was held on Wednesday, June 27, 2007 at the Lakeside Lions Park. It was comprised of approximately 20 property owners, a representative of Lake Restoration (private company), and staff representatives from the City of Spring Lake Park and the City of Mounds View. An agenda for this meeting is attached. The property owners around the lake communicated two main issues that they would like to have addressed: Increasing the current water level of the lake and removal of various organic vegetation around and within the lake. Increasing the current water level of the lake The general process to introducing water into the lake to increase the water level would be: