Mitchell Lake Association project restores native plants to EP lake’s shoreline

Since its formation in 2006, the Mitchell Lake Association has taken a proactive approach to restoring the water quality of Mitchell Lake. The association has reached out to both the city of Eden Prairie and the Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District to secure support in cleanup projects. Now the group looks to be a model for taking a hands-on approach to water quality improvement with a shoreline restoration project.

“We’re hoping that we can use this restoration project as an example and a learning tool,” said Cheri Nehl, one of the residents heading up the project.

This winter, the Mitchell Lake Association secured a grant for up to $32,000 from the Department of Natural Resources for restoring the shoreline. The work involves putting in native plants that act as a buffer to incoming storm water and prevent erosion.

This June, residents started work on about 285 feet of lakeshore off of Island Road. The beach is a commons area for those in the Timberlake Homeowners’ Association.

Nehl said they wanted to landscape the space anyway, so she thought it was “a perfect opportunity to try to incorporate this shoreland restoration.

“Everybody has access to it, and it would be a good education piece, so people could learn from that,” she added.

Nehl wrote up the grant application to include that project and up to six other projects on the lake.
The city of Eden Prairie acts as the fiscal agent for the grant funds.

Nehl noted that the lake association has worked with the homeowners’ association, the city, the DNR and a shoreline restoration consultant for this project.

She said they’ve “got a pretty strong partnership going here.”

Nehl’s husband, Jim, is president of the Mitchell Lake Association, which now includes more than 100 members.

The group was formed in 2006 for the purpose of improving water quality in Mitchell Lake, she said.
According to city documents, the lake is listed by the state of Minnesota as an impaired water. It rates a “D” on water quality from the Metropolitan Council.

Cheri Nehl said they decided to form a lake association to tap the power of numbers, in terms of getting help to clean up the lake.

Since its formation, some Mitchell Lake Association board members have joined a citizens’ advisory committee with the Watershed District.

John Tyler is one of those board members who volunteers on the advisory committee. Additionally, he’s signed up to be one of the households participating in a shoreland restoration of his own backyard.

The advisory committee put together recommendations for the watershed board, and worked with the board’s engineering firm, which is putting together the ecological restoration project for the entire watershed.

“It’s a matter of having an interconnected plan for all the lakes and streams,” Tyler said.

He notes that the 10-year plan for the watershed is in process of being finalized.

As part of that, the watershed district has approved about $100,000 for the first stage of Mitchell Lake cleanup.

Cheri Nehl said the group wants to show that there are things they can do as homeowners as well. That’s where shoreline restoration comes in.

She said it can provide a positive impact “but also educational opportunity.”

The Timber Lake Commons Area being restored could act as a model for what a native shoreline looks like and its impacts.

According to the city documents, the goals of the project include: water quality improvement, improved fish and wildlife habitat and building “a sense of shoreland stewardship” among the residents. Another goal is to showcase the project by sponsoring tours for residents or other lake associations.

A number of homeowners were on hand Saturday to put in the native plants.

Nehl estimated that about 30 varieties of plants were put in.

On the lakeshore, logs are put in place to protect newly planted aquatic species from been tossed about by waves. The logs will disintegrate in five years.

Such measures keep the soil in place to prevent erosion. Additionally, the native plants will do a better job of filtering runoff that ends up in the lake.

When fully grown, the plants will act as a deterrent to geese that prefer short turf grass over longer strands of native plants.

Fortin Consulting was on hand to offer guidance to the residents. The company’s founder, Connie Fortin, noted that these are the plants that used to be in place before the switch to turf grass.
“They are great for wildlife habitat, better infiltration of rainwater …”

No matter if a home is on the water or not, people should try native plantings, she said.
“We hope everybody will go home and do it in their own backyard.”