Cliff Notes - May

Want the abridged version of what some of our staff are doing this month? This week we highlight Bill Bartodziej, Natural Resources Specialist, and Eric Korte, Water Quality Monitoring Coordinator, and have them do just that in 120 words or less.

Left: Bill and Simba Blood do site assessment at the Ponds of Battle Creek
Golf Course.  Right:  Bill lighting a controlled burn.

Bill Bartodziej, Natural Resources Specialist, had the pleasure of speaking at the Lake Wabasso Association meeting on May 8th. Bill was very impressed with the enthusiasm and knowledge of the members. Bill discussed aquatic plant monitoring, shore restoration, carp management, and an update on zebra mussels. Members discussed their aquatic plant observations, where and when carp move in their system, and some ideas on what native plant species work well along the shore. This spring, the Natural Resources team will be partnering with the city of St. Paul and Ramsey County on ecological restoration projects centering on Keller and Phalen Golf Courses and Round Lake by Lake Phalen. Spring burns are underway, and seeding and planting will soon follow.

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Left: Eric smokes some carp caught during one of the winter seinings. 
Right: Eric collecting water samples on Tanners Lake.

Eric Korte, Water Quality Monitoring Coordinator, is working on getting all of our monitoring equipment installed along with the Water Quality crew. "We have equipment all over the district monitoring raingardens, creeks, lake levels, and rainfall. Also we will be taking grab samples from our District lakes to test them for chlorides to see the effect of salting the streets has on our lakes. In June we will begin to start taking samples from our lakes to test them for phosphorus, chlorophyll and clarity. We will continue to take lake samples until the end of September."