Diamond Lake preservation group sets priorities for recovery

BY DICK SAUNDERS

Some 40 Friends of Diamond Lake (FoDL) met to establish work priorities to enhance the lake’s water quality, wildlife habitat and recreational benefits at their first annual meeting, April 26, at Pearl Park.

They selected five projects to undertake during the coming year as their next step in executing a pioneering lake management plan—the only one of its kind in the metro Twin Cities. The five projects are to:

1. Become knowledgeable about how Diamond Lake works, what is healthy for the lake, and the potential for improving the health of the lake;
2. Identify possible storm-water infrastructure improvements, including greater treatment capacity for storm-water outfalls, especially at the southwest corner of the lake;
3. Establish best pollution management practices with property owners, including rain gardens, shoreline buffer zones and fertilizer runoff controls;
4. Survey native plants and animals, identify threats from non-native and invasive aquatic species, and evaluate need for controls;
5. Continue to improve appearance and safety of walking trail and improve canoe and kayak access along northeast shoreline; seek pedestrian crosswalk to Pearl Park Center.

David Oltmans, president of FoDL, said, “We are excited about the level of public input into this process, having had more than a hundred neighbors turn out in two meeting over the last month.  The meeting on the 26th gave the Lake Management Planning committee specific areas to engage citizens in the protection and improvement of Diamond Lake and its watershed.”

The Diamond Lake management planning process is being undertaken in partnership with the Minnehaha Creek Water-shed District, Minnesota Waters, the Initiative Found-ation of Little Falls, MN and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board The Diamond Lake plan is the only metro-based project of five similar joint ventures between the Minnehaha Creek Water-shed District and local lake associations involving citizen participation, Oltmans said.