CARGILL: “The Membership and the Board of Directors of the Big Lake Community Lakes Association (BLCLA) publicly thanks Cargill Kitchen Solutions, a local business, for its generous cash contribution to our association. In addition, Cargill Kitchen Solutions has also lent its support through its employees’ donation of time and effort to support the BLCLA.”
Many governmental and charitable groups have been contacted during our fund raising efforts but as the economy goes so goes available funding.
We are building a database for additional grant applications and would appreciate all the corporate support we can get for our resource, the lakes.
LAKE CLEAN-UP: Lake Clean-Up was done 2 times this winter
EXOTIC PLANT CHEMICAL TREATMENT: Massive effort went into obtaining land owner permission to allow chemical treatment of the Lakes. The first treatment of our lakes was completed by Professional Lake Management (PLM). We were disappointed that DNR only approved treatment of 9 acres of the requested 28 acres of Curley Leaf Pond weed in Big Lake and Lake Mitchell. Assessments of that treatment will be completed next week. The City beach area has been treated and treatment for 3 acres of Eurasian Water Mil Foil will begin later this month pending DNR approval.
LAKE MONITORS: BLCLA volunteers have been trained and are identifying and GPS locating invasive aquatic plants and also monitoring lake clarity and temperature. Water clarity is continuing to decrease and is a sign we must continue our efforts. This reporting will shorten the time it takes and dollars it will cost to return our lakes to their natural state.
SHORELINE RESTORATION: BLCLA and the City are working with Sherburne County Soil and Water and with private landowners in identifying greenways for shoreline restoration.
FISH POPULATION: Our Fish Habitat Committee requests that smaller fish species be kept and large ones returned to the lake. The outcome will be a “larger in size” fish population.
MEETINGS AND EDUCATION: We have held several membership meetings which included educational opportunities and speakers – the last one was in April, 2008.
