Our mission is to protect, manage and improve the water resources of the Capitol Region Watershed District.
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2 Williams Street Pond 3 Chalchiutlique Environmental Summit 3 Turfgrass training BACK Host a rain barrel workshop Capitol Region Watershed District Winter 2011
Dig early and often
The Crosby Lake Management Plan by Elizabeth Beckman
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rosby Lake is located within CRWD in Crosby Farm Regional Park, owned and managed by the city of St. Paul. Crosby Lake is within the Mississippi River floodplain, and is 48 acres in size with a maximum depth of 19 feet. The lake is part of a complex of wetland and forested areas located in the Mississippi National River & Recreation Area, a unit of the National Park Service. Water is fed to Crosby Lake from runoff, groundwater and spring and fall flooding of the Mississippi River. Water quality in Crosby Lake is regularly monitored by Ramsey County, and CRWD analyzes and reports the data. Most of the lake is shallow and receives only a small amount of runoff, so water quality of the lake is generally good. It has, however, been slowly declining since 2005. According to Anna Eleria of CRWD, “Crosby Lake plays an important role in our watershed. It provides aesthetic value, wildlife and aquatic habitat, flood control, and recreation opportunities in an urban watershed. Despite the lake’s small drainage area, we need to manage runoff in order to protect and improve its health.”
Managing and improving the health of a lake often starts with a plan: in late 2009 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency awarded CRWD a $50,000 grant from the state’s Clean Water Partnership Grant Fund to develop the Crosby Lake Management Plan. Grant partners include the city of St. Paul, Ramsey County, National Park Service, Friends of the Mississippi River, Friends of the Parks and Trails and Highland District Council. Management plan goals are to:
watershed residents. In the first two of three interactive meetings, more than forty citizens learned about CRWD and its work; the current condition of Crosby Lake and factors impacting its health; and the process for developing a lake management plan. Citizens also generated ideas for activities to protect and improve the lake, including best management practices, fish management, shoreline restoration, and adjacent parkland management as it relates to lake health.
• assess current lake conditions; • identify concerns and prioritize watershed issues; • develop management goals and objectives; and • discover opportunities and activities to protect and improve the ecological, aesthetic and recreational benefits of the lake. To involve citizens in creating the plan, CRWD convened two advisory groups: a technical group of government agencies and nonprofit organizations, and a Crosby Lake citizen group. Members of the group are park users and other interested
The next citizen group meeting will be held in March 2011. CRWD will present and receive comments on the draft plan. All are welcome to share their vision for Crosby Lake. Visit the Crosby Lake webpage at http://www.capitolregionwd.org/ CrosbyLakeManagementPlan.html.
Capitol Region Watershed District 1410 Energy Park Drive, Suite 4 • St. Paul, MN 55108 • 651-644-8888 • www.capitolregionwd.org