Click here for more information on local lake projects and watering restrictions:
City of Eden Prairie information on the environment and water resources: http://www.edenprairie.org/vCurrent/live/article.asp?r=1808
Nine Mile Creek Watershed District: http://www.ninemilecreek.org/
Friends of Birch Island Woods: http://www.fbiw.org/index.html
City of Bloomington information: http://www.ci.bloomington.mn.us/cityhall/dept/pubworks/engineer/waterres...

By Karla Wennerstrom

The city of Eden Prairie has been getting calls from concerned residents wondering why the lake levels are so low – especially on Mitchell Lake and Round Lake.

Last week, the Eden Prairie Optimists Club cancelled the Hooked On Fishing Event that had been set for June 13, 2009, “due to the very low water level at Round Lake.”

So what’s going on?

Eden Prairie Environmental coordinator Leslie Stovring said it’s simply the dry weather.

“It hasn’t been this bad since I’ve lived here,” she said.

In fact, it was the third driest May since 1934, according to the National Weather Service. The NWS says Eden Prairie’s portion of Hennepin County is in a moderate drought condition.

“It’s just really, really, really dry and we did not have a good pattern for snowmelt and recharging lakes,” Stovring said. “We didn’t get that good flush of winter snowmelt.”

She said it’s been relatively dry for the last few years.
“We’ve had that for a couple years in a row,” she said. “It’s just been really bad.”

Stovring said that the dry conditions would likely slow down the recovery of Anderson Lakes and Birch Island Lake. Anderson Lakes is refilling after having been drawn down in a Nine Mile Creek Watershed District project to kill invasive weeds. Another watershed project aims to raise the level of Birch Island Lake, where a drainage system is piping underground and rainwater runoff into the lake.

“The good thing is we did have a nice cold spell this winter that really should have done a lot of good,” said Stovring of the project to kill curly-leaf pondweed on Anderson Lakes.

“Refilling is dependent on rain,” Stovring said. “If we don’t get rain, it can’t refill. That is the bad part about relying on nature. Nature doesn’t always cooperate.”

Watering restrictions remain

Stovring is reminding residents that watering restrictions remain in place in the community (see related article on this page).

She said that with two odd-numbered days in a row, residents might forget to reset automatic sprinkler systems, especially those that operate in the middle of the night.

“Don’t forget, you had two odd days in a row, so it’s time to go fix them,” Stovring said. Eden Prairie’s watering rules are the same year-round.

Watering reminder

Homeowners are reminded that May had 31 days, which means that this month there were two odd days in a row (May 31, June 1). Residents may need to reset their lawn irrigation system timers – if indeed they are set to run every other day through the city’s odd-even lawn water regulations – to avoid getting a ticket.

Be aware of Eden Prairie’s
lawn watering restrictions

Eden Prairie has watering restrictions that were developed to encourage water conservation, maintain water pressure and ensure adequate water supplies in case of an emergency.

The city’s year-round watering restrictions are for all residential and business properties within the city. The restrictions do not apply to those with private well systems.

Before turning on your sprinkler:
* Check the clock. No lawn watering is allowed between the hours of 12:01 and 5 p.m. of any day.
* Determine if it is “your day” to water the lawn. The odd-even schedule means if your home or business address ends in an odd number (i.e. 1, 3, 5, etc.) you may water your lawn only on odd-numbered calendar days. If your address ends in an even number (i.e. 0, 2, 4, etc.) you may water your lawn only on even-numbered days.

Watering restrictions are enforced year round. Residents and businesses violating Eden Prairie’s watering ordinance will receive a surcharge that carries a fine.

The watering restrictions are for lawn or turf watering and do not include outdoor activities such as car washing or children playing with water toys.

Exemptions from the odd-even schedule are available and include newly sodded or seeded areas that require irrigation to prevent loss of new sod, seed or immature turf or grasses. This exemption is only for a period of 30 days. It also includes city play fields or parks that require more frequent irrigation to prevent unreasonable damage to the play areas.

Beginning in 2003, the city established a graduated fee structure for lawn watering restriction violations. Violations are tracked over three-year rolling periods.

Fees for violating the water-use restrictions are:

* First offense – $25;
* Second offense – $50;
* Third offense – $100;
* Fourth offense – $200;
* Each additional offense (five or more) – $300.

The city also has a water conservation surcharge that charges a higher rate for higher water usage. The surcharge comes into effect when quarterly water use is greater than 1.5 times greater than your winter quarter, or the city’s average of 24,000 gallons, whichever is greater.

Water usage in excess of this baseline will be charged $1 per 1,000 gallons used, up to $100. The city’s average is automatically used for homes that have low water usage in the winter, such as snowbirds or single member households.

Exemptions from the surcharge are granted for extensive new sod and/or landscaping. Other considerations are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

For questions or to apply for an exemption, call Leslie Stovring, the city’s environmental coordinator, at 952-949-8327, or visit the city’s Web site, www.edenprairie.org.

Source: City of Eden Prairie

Upcoming events

* Appliance pick-up – A one-day appliance pick-up is set for Wednesday, June 24. Cost is $25 for each appliance to be picked up by Certified Appliance. For reservations, call 952-894-1448.

* Eden Prairie Community Clean-up Day – The city’s clean-up day is set for 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 20, at Hennepin Technical College, 13100 College View Drive. Eden Prairie residents can enter from Flying Cloud Drive (proof of residence required). New this year, bicycles will be collected for recycling by a local organization.

For more information, call Leslie Stovring at 952-949-8327 or e-mail lstovring@edenprairie.org. Visit our Web site for a full list of accepted items and fees.

* Free wood chips – The city is giving free wood chips away to residents as well as part of the Clean-up Day. Wood chips will be available at 9381 Mitchell Road, south of Pioneer Trail and across from the Grace Church parking lot entrance, according to a news release from the city.