The Swamp Iron Enhanced Sand Filter (IESF) is an important part of watershed nutrient reduction and preventing nutrients from reaching the downstream County Ditch 13 system, Spring Lake and Prior Lakes. The Swamp IESF is expected to filter, bind with excess nutrients, and remove 89 lbs of Phosphorus per year, and presents one of most cost-effective, and far-reaching solutions in the watershed strategy.

At the Minnesota Watershed Conference held in Nisswa last week, PLSLWD's Project Manager, Emily Dick, was named the 2024 Outstanding Watershed Organization Employee by BWSR (Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources), due in large part having obtained a nearly $1,000,000 grant to repair the Prior Lake Outlet Pipe which is in need of pipe lining which will maintain the pipe's life for another 50 years.. The work on the pipe will happen in 2025.

Preventing erosion on 1,300 feet of stream by reconnecting its natural floodplain.

The PLSLWD along with community artist, Kimberly Boustead, hosted a Buckthorn wreath making event.

Watershed offices are still closed due to the flood at City Hall this past summer, and we continue to work at an off-site location until further notice. We are open Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30pm. You can also call us at 952-447-4166, or email us at info@plslwd.org.

After many months of searching for funding, the District has been awarded over $850,000 in MPCA grant funding for the Prior Lake Outlet Pipelining! This project will double the lifespan and restore the capacity of Prior Lake's only "relief valve," a critical piece of infrastructure for flood relief.

The Watershed District has received a number of reports of suspected Blue-Green Algae this summer. Read the full news story for complete information about it

At the Minnesota Watershed Conference held in Nisswa last week, PLSLWD's Project Manager, Emily Dick, was named the 2024 Outstanding Watershed Organization Employee by BWSR (Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources), due in large part having obtained a nearly $1,000,000 grant to repair the Prior Lake Outlet Pipe which is in need of pipe lining which will maintain the pipe's life for another 50 years.. The work on the pipe will happen in 2025.

The PLSLWD along with community artist, Kimberly Boustead, hosted a Buckthorn wreath making event.

Watershed offices are still closed due to the flood at City Hall this past summer, and we continue to work at an off-site location until further notice. We are open Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30pm. You can also call us at 952-447-4166, or email us at info@plslwd.org.

After many months of searching for funding, the District has been awarded over $850,000 in MPCA grant funding for the Prior Lake Outlet Pipelining! This project will double the lifespan and restore the capacity of Prior Lake's only "relief valve," a critical piece of infrastructure for flood relief.

The Watershed District has received a number of reports of suspected Blue-Green Algae this summer. Read the full news story for complete information about it

The Swamp Iron Enhanced Sand Filter (IESF) is an important part of watershed nutrient reduction and preventing nutrients from reaching the downstream County Ditch 13 system, Spring Lake and Prior Lakes. The Swamp IESF is expected to filter, bind with excess nutrients, and remove 89 lbs of Phosphorus per year, and presents one of most cost-effective, and far-reaching solutions in the watershed strategy.

Preventing erosion on 1,300 feet of stream by reconnecting its natural floodplain.

Bank erosion repair work has been completed along the channel. Maintenance for vegetation reestablishment is an ongoing project.

The Sutton Lake Outlet project constructed a controlled outlet structure at the Sutton Lake Blvd culvert crossing to store stormwater in Sutton Lake.

Studies by the Prior Lake-Spring Lake Watershed District determined Upper Prior Lake was impaired/threatened by an excess of phosphorus and recommended that the phosphorus concentration should be reduced by to achieve water quality goals.

PLSLWD treated Spring Lake with Aluminum Sulfate (Alum) in 2013, 2018, and 2020.

The Ferric Chloride Treatment Facility is one of the District's "nutrient reduction powerhouses". Reducing nutrients reaching Spring Lake is essential for preventing algal blooms and other water quality problems.

The project enhanced a section of shoreline along Fish Lake behind the Spring Lake Township town hall and implemented a prairie restoration on the north side of the property.

The Sand Point Beach Park Pond Improvements Project improves the efficiency of stormwater treatment before it enters Prior Lake. The project includes three components: Maintenance & Expansion of the Two Existing Ponds, Iron-Enhanced Sand Filter, and Prairie Restoration.

The restoration project includes buckthorn removal, an oak savanna restoration, beach plant community restoration, shoreline restoration and replacing the existing turf grass with low-maintenance grass.

The shoreline area at Watzl’s beach was previously dominated by invasive plants and erosion was occurring at the shoreline. As such, the site was in desperate need of restoration.

The project will filter out sediments and nutrients from the stormwater that runs off properties and streets in the Indian Ridge Park neighborhood before it reaches Lower Prior Lake.

The Fish Point Park Retrofit project includes three elements: retrofitting an existing ditch section with in-line iron-sand filters, expanding storage capacity and creating wetland upstream of the ditch, and installing a new predictive control structure in the existing berm.

Shoreline restoration prevents soil erosion from entering our lake, as well as providing filtration for other pollutants. Native plants provide bank stabilization, water filtration, and habitat improvement. Three main shoreline restoration techniques were used to stabilize these areas: brush bundles, cedar revetment and native plantings with erosion control blanket.

This project consists of three components: retrofitting stormwater ponds with iron-sand filters, restoring a wetland, and managing carp.

The CR12/17 Wetland Restoration Project is an innovative stormwater treatment project intended to improve water quality in Spring Lake.

Prior Lake-Spring Lake Watershed District completed retrofit projects on the Boudin neighborhood reconstruction that previously drained untreated to Lower Prior Lake.

Normal wear and tear on the outlet structure resulted in cracking to the structure and diminishing efficiency. The outlet structure was replaced in 2010.