The above photos taken August 2021 on the north end of Rice Lake showing the abandoned fish gate and culvert with control gate that was used to control the water into Bass Lake until the late 1960's. Notice the former lake level of Rice Lake shown on the fish gate.
Plan of Action:
- We have started collecting water samples at the Smith, Krause, Reynolds and North Shore tile inlets and Bass Lake outlet for certified analysis water quality. UC Labs of Janesville, MN is testing for phosphate and total nitrates. This testing will conducted twice a month for the months of May, June, July and August 2019.
- Bass Lake was 1 of 15 lakes selected nationwide to conduct a 2 year study on algae blooms. In late May, MN State Mankato will begin 24 hour a day monitoring, data recording and drones to analyze water quality for algae blooms.
- Work with Bass Lake watershed landowners to educate and enrollment of land to develop wetlands to filter water that has to enter Bass Lake before it
enters Bass Lake.
-Meet and educate Bass Lake property owners to discuss changing lake weed control methods. Stop with the chemicals and consider other alternatives.
-Invest in weed cutting equipment to harvest lake weeds during the summer season. This prevents the dead weeds created from chemical weed killing during the decomposing stage process in the lake and reduces phosphates and slows the algae growth cycles.
-Nearby Lake Crystal built one of these anchored floating islands. We are going to reach out to the Lake Crystal “Crystal Water Project” and review their island, costs and results.
Learn more about the efforts they are doing as a community to clean up Lake Crystal at “Crystal Waters Project”
- Analyze carp and fish population of Bass Lake-Carp Solutions.
- Analyze wetland depth and area needed to support year around water in the wetlands-FSWD
- Meet with Faribault Soil and Water District to determine funding options.
- Get FSWD going to watershed plan-Kernza grain as buffer in for nitrate reduction in from the Smith, Krause and Reynolds wetlands.
- We have joined Lake Volney Assoc. to learn how and who they work with. Lake Volney is a LeSuer Co. lake that was that was impaired like Bass Lake. With the cooperation of farmers, lakeshore property owners and LSWCD they have been able to achieve 25-30% better water quality and are now not an impaired lake.
- Reach out to all agencies we can identify and call, introduce, get emails get their advice.
- Work with DNR and Carp Solutions to develop removal plan.
- Develop cost budgets for all programs to determine amount of funding needed for enrolling land, wetland development, retiling, carp removal.
- Website with Bass Lake test results and progress to start June 2019.
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