On one thing, says Mike Bendtsen, Anderson Lakes landowners agree wholeheartedly: Something needs to be done to improve water quality.

But this agreement could be meaningless if owners of lakeshore land - including the Three Rivers Park District and a handful of private homeowners in Bloomington, including Bendtsen - can't agree on whether curlyleaf pond weed should be eradicated with herbicide treatment or by drawing down the water in two of the three Anderson Lakes basins.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources would require unanimous agreement of lakeshore landowners before granting a permit for either a drawdown or chemical treatment, said Kevin Bigalke, administrator of the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District.

The watershed district's board of managers July 18 held a public hearing at the Eden Prairie City Center, on an environmental assessment worksheet designed to analyze the environmental impact of either a drawdown or chemical treatment on Northwest and Southwest Anderson Lakes.

The city of Eden Prairie had requested drawing down the water in the southwest basin (located entirely in Eden Prairie) and the northwest basin (located in Eden Prairie and Bloomington) to allow the lakebed to freeze over the winter, to kill curlyleaf pondweed. Curlyleaf pondweed is an invasive plant species that releases phosphorus into the water when it dies in midsummer, resulting in algae blooms.

According to the EAW, the curlyleaf coverage in the northwest basin increased from 34 acres in June 2004 to 54 acres in June 2006. In the same time period, the curlyleaf coverage in the Southwest basin grew from five acres to 50 acres.

The EAW currently lists no potential environmental dangers for fish and wildlife within the lake system, from either a drawdown or chemical treatment.

However, Eden Prairie city officials have stated a preference for a drawdown.

That preference is reportedly shared by the Three Rivers Park District, which owns most of the lakeshore.

No one from the Three Rivers Park District spoke at the July 18 hearing. However, Bigalke said the Three Rivers board had sent a letter to the watershed district, stating that the policy of Three Rivers is to avoid the use of any kind of chemical pesticide - including not only herbicide in the water, but also insecticides to control mosquitoes or herbicides to kill weeds such as buckthorn.

"They do not feel this project should go ahead with chemical treatment, which is against their policy," Bigalke said.

Anderson Lakes landowner Linda Goetz of Bloomington said she believes most lakeshore homeowners share her strong preference for chemical treatment.

Concerns about a drawdown, she said, include the environmental impact of draining 293 million gallons of water from the two lakebeds, the possible slowness of the refill (18 months to two years), the aesthetic impact of a dry lakebed and possible noise and aesthetic concerns from the pumps used to drain the lakes.

"I would argue that draining my lake, dead fish, a dry lakebed and car-size pumps have a strong visual impact to me - a negative one," she said.

Leslie Stovring, environmental coordinator for the city of Eden Prairie, reiterated the city's preference for a drawdown, but asked that the pumps be powered with a temporary electrical supply instead of diesel-powered generators.

According to the EAW, generators create a noise level of about 80 decibels - below the acceptable level for construction equipment in a residential area, which is 90 decibels.

However, Stovring said, that level of noise would have a negative impact. She asked that, if generators are used, that they operate according to Eden Prairie noise ordinances, which would preclude them from operating overnight.

Bob Obermeyer, the watershed district's engineering adviser, said the use of an electrical supply would add about $40,000 to the cost of the drawdown, which has been projected at $125,000.

Chemical treatment is expected to cost $100,000 per year for four years of applications. Stovring said it has taken as long as six years in some lakes to eradicate curlyleaf pondweed with chemicals.

Other concerns related to a drawdown include the potential slowness of restoring the lake to its present depth.

According to the EAW, it could take 18 months to two years for rainfall, runoff and snow melt to bring the Northwest and Southwest Anderson Lakes basins back to their present level. Bigalke noted, however, that this does not mean that the lakebeds would remain completely dry for this long. The water level would increase gradually over time, he said.

Bendtsen - who is president of the newly organized Anderson Lakes Association - said his main concern now is the possibility that nothing could be done about curlyleaf pondweed if lakeshore landowners can't agree on what to do.

He said he personally prefers a drawdown to a chemical treatment, but cannot speak for the entire Anderson Lakes Association on this issue because members have a variety of viewpoints.

Bendtsen said he, and about 200 signers of a petition presented to the watershed district in May, still believe that doing nothing about the water quality is not an option.

The petition signers also believe, he said, that any water quality project also should include the third Anderson Lake basin - the southeast basin, located entirely in Bloomington.

Eden Prairie could not include Southeast Anderson Lake in its petition to the watershed district because it is not located within the Eden Prairie city limits.

But Steve Elkins, a member of the Bloomington City Council, said he believes city officials are open to the possibility of a chemical treatment for Southeast Anderson Lake while the other two basins are being treated - whether the treatment would be a drawdown or a chemical application.

Elkins said he doubts that the southeast basin could be drawn down along with the other two, because Nine Mile Creek could not sustain such a large influx of water.

What's next

The Environmental Assessment Worksheet for the Northwest and Southwest Anderson Lakes water quality project can be viewed at the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District office at 7710 Computer Ave., Suite 135, Edina, or online at www.ninemilecreek.org.

The public comment period for the EAW started July 15, and will end Aug. 15.

Public comments on the EAW can be mailed to Kevin Bigalke, district administrator, at the watershed district office (ZIP code is 55345), faxed to 952-835-2079 or e-mailed to kbigalke@ninemilecreek.org. People with questions may call 952-835-2078.

The watershed district's board of managers will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 15, at the Eden Prairie City Center, 8080 Mitchell Road.

The managers expect to make a decision at a special meeting at tentatively set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 29 at the Eden Prairie City Center.

Options could include applying for DNR permits to conduct the project as originally planned (drawing down Southwest and Northwest Anderson Lakes this fall, and possible spot-treatment with herbicide), revising the project (such as substituting chemical treatment for the drawdown) or delaying it.

Comment on this story at our website, www.mnsun.com.

Concerns about a drawdown, she said, include the environmental impact of draining 293 million gallons of water from the two lakebeds, the possible slowness of the refill (18 months to two years), the aesthetic impact of a dry lakebed and possible noise and aesthetic concerns from the pumps used to drain the lakes.

"I would argue that draining my lake, dead fish, a dry lakebed and car-size pumps have a strong visual impact to me - a negative one," she said.

Leslie Stovring, environmental coordinator for the city of Eden Prairie, reiterated the city's preference for a drawdown, but asked that the pumps be powered with a temporary electrical supply instead of diesel-powered generators.

According to the EAW, generators create a noise level of about 80 decibels - below the acceptable level for construction equipment in a residential area, which is 90 decibels.

However, Stovring said, that level of noise would have a negative impact. She asked that, if generators are used, that they operate according to Eden Prairie noise ordinances, which would preclude them from operating overnight.

Bob Obermeyer, the watershed district's engineering adviser, said the use of an electrical supply would add about $40,000 to the cost of the drawdown, which has been projected at $125,000.

Chemical treatment is expected to cost $100,000 per year for four years of applications. Stovring said it has taken as long as six years in some lakes to eradicate curlyleaf pondweed with chemicals.

Other concerns related to a drawdown include the potential slowness of restoring the lake to its present depth.

According to the EAW, it could take 18 months to two years for rainfall, runoff and snow melt to bring the Northwest and Southwest Anderson Lakes basins back to their present level. Bigalke noted, however, that this does not mean that the lakebeds would remain completely dry for this long. The water level would increase gradually over time, he said.

Bendtsen - who is president of the newly organized Anderson Lakes Association - said his main concern now is the possibility that nothing could be done about curlyleaf pondweed if lakeshore landowners can't agree on what to do.

He said he personally prefers a drawdown to a chemical treatment, but cannot speak for the entire Anderson Lakes Association on this issue because members have a variety of viewpoints.

Bendtsen said he, and about 200 signers of a petition presented to the watershed district in May, still believe that doing nothing about the water quality is not an option.

The petition signers also believe, he said, that any water quality project also should include the third Anderson Lake basin - the southeast basin, located entirely in Bloomington.

Eden Prairie could not include Southeast Anderson Lake in its petition to the watershed district because it is not located within the Eden Prairie city limits.

But Steve Elkins, a member of the Bloomington City Council, said he believes city officials are open to the possibility of a chemical treatment for Southeast Anderson Lake while the other two basins are being treated - whether the treatment would be a drawdown or a chemical application.

Elkins said he doubts that the southeast basin could be drawn down along with the other two, because Nine Mile Creek could not sustain such a large influx of water.

What's next

The Environmental Assessment Worksheet for the Northwest and Southwest Anderson Lakes water quality project can be viewed at the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District office at 7710 Computer Ave., Suite 135, Edina, or online at www.ninemilecreek.org.

The public comment period for the EAW started July 15, and will end Aug. 15.

Public comments on the EAW can be mailed to Kevin Bigalke, district administrator, at the watershed district office (ZIP code is 55345), faxed to 952-835-2079 or e-mailed to kbigalke@ninemilecreek.org. People with questions may call 952-835-2078.

The watershed district's board of managers will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 15, at the Eden Prairie City Center, 8080 Mitchell Road.

The managers expect to make a decision at a special meeting at tentatively set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 29 at the Eden Prairie City Center.

Options could include applying for DNR permits to conduct the project as originally planned (drawing down Southwest and Northwest Anderson Lakes this fall, and possible spot-treatment with herbicide), revising the project (such as substituting chemical treatment for the drawdown) or delaying it.

Comment on this story at our website, www.mnsun.com.