Lower Cullen Lake CROW WING COUNTY

Transcription

1 Lower Cullen Lake CROW WING COUNTY Lake Water Quality Summary Lower Cullen Lake is located on the north side of Nisswa, MN in Crow Wing County. It is a relatively round lake with smooth shorelines. The lake covers 560 acres. Lower Cullen Lake has one inlet and one outlet, which classify it as a drainage lake. Water flows into the lake in the north east bay. It receives drainage Middle and Upper Cullen Lakes. The outlet is located at the southern tip. Water leaving the lake forms the Cullen Brook and flows through Nisswa and Roy Lakes and eventually, to Gull Lake. From Gull Lake, the Gull River flows south where it joins up with the Crow Wing River and then the Mississippi River at Crow Wing State Park. Water quality data have been collected on Lower Cullen Lake in These data show that the lake is mesotrophic, which is characteristic of moderately clear water throughout the summer and excellent recreational opportunities (page 9). The Cullen Lakes Association was formed by concerned lake residents who felt the need, "to protect, preserve, and enhance the three Cullen Lakes and their environs in order to ensure the continued vitality of the lakes, high quality fish and wildlife habitat, safe and healthy family living, and the survival of these natural gifts for future generations." The Association has been involved in education of lake best management practices and is proactive to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. Table 1. Lower Cullen Lake location and key physical characteristics. Location Data MN Lake ID: County: CROW WING Ecoregion: Northern Lakes and Forest Major Drainage Basin: Upper Mississippi Latitude/Longitude: , Invasive Species: None as of 2011 Table 2. Availability of primary data types for Lower Cullen Lake. Data Availability Transparency data Chemical data Physical Characteristics Surface area (acres): 560 Littoral area (acres): 236 % Littoral area: 42% Max depth (ft), (m): 39, 12 Inlets: 1 Outlets: 1 Public Accesses: 1 Good data set through the Citizen Lake Monitoring Program. Good phosphorus and chlorophyll a data set, but not enough for a trend analysis. Inlet/Outlet data There is some data available for the outlet. Recommendations For recommendations refer to page 18. RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc. 1 of Lower Cullen Lake

2 Lake Map Figure 1. Map of Lower Cullen Lake with 2010 aerial imagery and illustrations of lake depth contour lines, sample site locations, inlets and outlets, and public access points. The light green areas in the lake illustrate the littoral zone, where the sunlight can usually reach the lake bottom allowing aquatic plants to grow. Table 3. Monitoring programs and associated monitoring sites. Programs include Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), Citizen Lake Monitoring Program (CLMP), Cullen Lakes Association (CLA), and Outdoor Corps Lake Monitoring (OCLM) Lake Site Depth Monitoring Programs (ft) MPCA: 1990, CLMP: , 1992, *primary site 35 CLMP: 1995, ; CLA: 1991, ; OCLM: No data RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc. 2 of Lower Cullen Lake

3 Average Water Quality Statistics The information below describes available chemical data for the primary site (202) of Lower Cullen Lake through 2011 (Table 4). Minnesota is divided into 7 ecoregions based on land use, vegetation, precipitation and geology. The MPCA has developed a way to determine the "average range" of water quality expected for lakes in each ecoregion. For more information on ecoregions and expected water quality ranges, see page 10. Table 4. Water quality means compared to ecoregion ranges and impaired waters standard. Impaired Parameter Mean Ecoregion Range 1 Waters Standard 2 Interpretation Total phosphorus (ug/l) > 30 3 Chlorophyll a (ug/l) > 9 Chlorophyll a max (ug/l) 20 <15 Secchi depth (ft) < 6.5 Dissolved oxygen Results are within the expected range for the ecoregion. Dissolved oxygen depth profiles show that the deep areas of the lake are anoxic in late summer. Total Kieldahl Nitrogen Indicates insufficient nitrogen to support summer nitrogeninduced algae blooms. (mg/l) Alkalinity (mg/l) Indicates a low sensitivity to acid rain and a good buffering capacity. Color (Pt-Co Units) Indicates clear water with little to no tannins (brown stain). ph Within the expected range for the ecoregion. Lake water ph less than 6.5 can affect fish spawning and the solubility of metals in the water. Chloride (mg/l) Above the expected range for the ecoregion, but still considered low level. Total Suspended Solids (mg/l) 1.7 <1-2 Indicates low suspended solids and clear water. Conductivity (umhos/cm) Within the expected range for the ecoregion. Total Nitrogen :Total Phosphorus 54:1 25:1 35:1 Indicates the lake is phosphorus limited, which means that algae growth is limited by the amount of phosphorus in the lake. 1 The ecoregion range is the 25 th -75 th percentile of summer means from ecoregion reference lakes 2 For further information regarding the Impaired Waters Assessment program, refer to 3 Chlorophyll a measurements have been corrected for pheophytin Units: 1 mg/l (ppm) = 1,000 ug/l (ppb) RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc. 3 of Lower Cullen Lake

4 Water Quality Characteristics - Historical Means and Ranges Table 5. Water quality means and ranges for primary sites. Parameters Primary Site 202 Site 100 Site 201 Total Phosphorus Mean (ug/l): Total Phosphorus Min: 5 9 Total Phosphorus Max: Number of Observations: Chlorophyll a Mean (ug/l): 5 5 Chlorophyll-a Min: 1 3 Chlorophyll-a Max: 20 9 Number of Observations: 73 8 Secchi Depth Mean (ft): Secchi Depth Min: Secchi Depth Max: Number of Observations: Figure 2. Lower Cullen Lake total phosphorus, chlorophyll a and transparency historical ranges. The arrow represents the range and the black dot represents the historical mean (Primary Site 202). Figure adapted after Moore and Thornton, [Ed.] Lake and Reservoir Restoration Guidance Manual. (Doc. No. EPA 440/ ) RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc. 4 of Lower Cullen Lake

5 Transparency (Secchi Depth) Transparency is how easily light can pass through a substance. In lakes it is how deep sunlight penetrates through the water. Plants and algae need sunlight to grow, so they are only able to grow in areas of lakes where the sun penetrates. Water transparency depends on the amount of particles in the water. An increase in particulates results in a decrease in transparency. The transparency varies year to year due to changes in weather, precipitation, lake use, flooding, temperature, lake levels, etc. For the two sites that had more than 20 transparency data points, the mean transparency ranges from 9.6 to 19.9 feet. The transparency throughout the lake appears to be relatively uniform, with the best transparency occurring at site 202, which is located at the deepest spot in Lower Cullen Lake. The transparency does appear to stay around the long-term mean for site 202, with a few spikes of deeper means throughout the years. Transparency monitoring should be continued annually at site 202 in order to track water quality changes Transparency: Annual Means Site 201 Site 202 Secchi Depth (ft) Figure 3. Annual mean transparency compared to long-term mean transparency, sites 201 and 202. Lower Cullen Lake transparency ranges from 6.5 to 26.0 ft at the primary site (202). Figure 4 shows the seasonal transparency dynamics. The maximum Secchi reading is usually obtained in early summer. Lower Cullen Lake transparency is high in May and June and declines through August. The transparency rebounds in October after fall turnover. This transparency dynamic is typical of a northern Minnesota lake. The dynamics have to do with algae and zooplankton population dynamics, and lake turnover. It is important for lake residents to understand the seasonal transparency dynamics in their lake so they are not worried about why their transparency is lower in August than it is in June. It is typical for a lake to vary in transparency throughout the summer. RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc. 5 of Lower Cullen Lake

6 Secchi Depth (ft) Seasonal Transparency Dynamics Poly. (Mean) Figure 4. Seasonal transparency dynamics and year to year comparison (Primary Site 202). The black line represents the pattern in the data. User Perceptions When volunteers collect secchi depth readings, they record their perceptions of the water based on the physical appearance and the recreational suitability. These perceptions can be compared to water quality parameters to see how the lake "user" would experience the lake at that time. Looking at transparency data, as the secchi depth decreases the perception of the lake's physical appearance rating decreases. Lower Cullen Lake was rated as being "not quite crystal clear" 65% of the time between Physical Appearance Rating 1% 5% 5% Crystal clear water 29% 65% Not quite crystal clear a little algae visible 29% Definite algae green, yellow, or brown color apparent 1% High algae levels with limited clarity and/or mild odor apparent 65% 0% Severely high algae levels Figure 5. Physical appearance rating, as rated by the volunteer monitor at site 202 ( ). RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc. 6 of Lower Cullen Lake

7 As the secchi depth decreases, the perception of recreational suitability of the lake decreases. Lower Cullen Lake was rated as having "very minor aesthetic problems" 72% of the time from % 1% 11% Recreational Suitability Rating 11% Beautiful, could not be better 72% Very minor aesthetic problems; excellent for swimming, boating 16% Swimming and aesthetic enjoyment of the lake slightly impaired because of algae levels 1% Desire to swim and level of enjoyment of the lake substantially reduced because of algae levels 72% 0% Swimming and aesthetic enjoyment of the lake nearly impossible because of algae levels Figure 6. Recreational suitability rating, as rated by the volunteer monitor at site 202 ( ). Total Phosphorus Lower Cullen Lake is phosphorus limited, which means that algae and aquatic plant growth is dependent upon available phosphorus. Total phosphorus was evaluated in Lower Cullen Lake in 1991, The data do not indicate much seasonal variability. In some years there is a peak in spring and fall, which could be due to turnover. The majority of the data points are in the mesotrophic range (Figure 7). Phosphorus should continue to be monitored to track any future changes in water quality. Total Phosphorus (ug/l) Eutrophic Mesotrophic Oligotrophic Total Phosphorus Figure 7. Historical total phosphorus concentrations (ug/l) for Lower Cullen Lake (data sets from 1991, ). RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc. 7 of Lower Cullen Lake

8 Chlorophyll a Chlorophyll a is the pigment that makes plants and algae green. Chlorophyll a is tested in lakes to determine the algae concentration or how "green" the water is. Chlorophyll a Chlorophyll a Chlorophyll a 2001 concentrations greater 2002 than 10 ug/l are perceived as a mild algae 2004 bloom, while 2005 concentrations greater than 20 ug/l are perceived as a nuisance Chlorophyll a was Minor Algae evaluated in Lower Cullen Lake in 1991, 1995, Nuisance Algae Chlorophyll a concentrations exceeded Figure 8. Chlorophyll a concentrations (ug/l) for Lower Cullen Lake. 10 ug/l in some years, indicating algae blooms (Figure 8). There are some peaks in spring and fall, which follows the same pattern as the phosphorus concentrations (Figure 7), and may be due to turnover. Dissolved Oxygen Dissolved Oxygen (DO) is the amount of oxygen dissolved in lake water. Oxygen is necessary for all living organisms to survive except for some bacteria. Living organisms breathe in oxygen that is dissolved in the water. Dissolved oxygen levels of <5 mg/l are typically avoided by game fisheries. Lower Cullen Lake is a relatively deep lake, with a maximum depth of 39 ft. Dissolved oxygen data was collected at site 100 in 1990 and 1999 and site 202 in 2002 and This data indicates that both sites stratify in the summer. The thermocline appears to reside at 5-6 meters ( feet). Benthic phosphorus samples taken in 1999 indicate minor internal loading (TP= ug/l). Figure 9 illustrates stratification in the summer of 2003 at site 202. This is a representative DO profile for Lower Cullen Lake. Figure 9. Dissolved oxygen profile for Lower Cullen Lake in 2003 at site 202. RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc. 8 of Lower Cullen Lake

9 Trophic State Index Phosphorus (nutrients), chlorophyll a (algae concentration) and Secchi depth (transparency) are related. As phosphorus increases, there is more food available for algae, resulting in increased algal concentrations. When algal concentrations increase, the water becomes less transparent and the Secchi depth decreases. The results from these three measurements cover different units and ranges and thus cannot be directly compared to each other or averaged. In order to standardize these three measurements to make them directly comparable, we convert them to a trophic state index (TSI). The mean TSI for Lower Cullen Lake falls within the mesotrophic category (Figure 10). There is fairly good agreement between the TSI for phosphorus, chlorophyll a and transparency, indicating that these variables are related (Table 6). The transparency TSI is slightly lower than the chlorophyll TSI. This could be due to zooplankton grazing on the smaller algae cells, large algae particles dominate the algal community, or loss of rooted vegetation. Lower Cullen Lake Table 6. Trophic State Index for site 202. Trophic State Index Site 202 TSI Total Phosphorus 45 TSI Chlorophyll-a 46 TSI Secchi 40 TSI Mean 44 Trophic State: Mesotrophic Numbers represent the mean TSI for each parameter. Hypereutrophic Eutrophic Mesotrophic Oligotrophic Mesotrophic lakes (TSI 40-50) are characterized by moderately clear water most of the summer (Table 7). "Meso" means middle or mid; therefore, mesotrophic means a medium amount of productivity. Mesotrophic lakes are commonly found in central Minnesota and have clear water with algal blooms in late summer. They are also good for walleye fishing. Figure 10. Trophic state index chart with corresponding trophic status. 0 Table 7. Trophic state index attributes and their corresponding fisheries and recreation characteristics. TSI Attributes Fisheries & Recreation <30 Oligotrophy: Clear water, oxygen throughout Trout fisheries dominate the year at the bottom of the lake, very deep cold water Bottom of shallower lakes may become anoxic (no oxygen). Trout fisheries in deep lakes only. Walleye, Cisco present Mesotrophy: Water moderately clear most of the summer. May be "greener" in late summer. No oxygen at the bottom of the lake results in loss of trout. Walleye may predominate Eutrophy: Algae and aquatic plant problems possible. "Green" water most of the year. Warm-water fisheries only. Bass may dominate Blue-green algae dominate, algal scums and aquatic plant problems. Dense algae and aquatic plants. Low water clarity may discourage swimming and boating Hypereutrophy: Dense algae and aquatic Water is not suitable for recreation. plants. >80 Algal scums, few aquatic plants Rough fish (carp) dominate; summer fish kills possible Source: Carlson, R.E A trophic state index for lakes. Limnology and Oceanography. 22: RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc. 9 of Lower Cullen Lake

10 Trend Analysis For detecting trends, a minimum of 8-10 years of data with 4 or more readings per season are recommended. Minimum confidence accepted by the MPCA is 90%. This means that there is a 90% chance that the data are showing a true trend and a 10% chance that the trend is a random result of the data. Only short-term trends can be determined with just a few years of data, because there can be different wet years and dry years, water levels, weather, etc, that affect the water quality naturally. There is enough historical data to perform trend analysis for transparency, total phosphorus, and chlorophyll a on Lower Cullen Lake. Site 202 had over 8 years of data for each parameter, which was enough data to perform a long-term trend analysis (Table 8). The data was analyzed using the Mann Kendall Trend Analysis. Table 8. Trend analysis for Lower Cullen Lake. An increasing trend in total phosphorus and chlorophyll a means declining water quality. Lake Site Parameter Date Range Trend Probability 202 Transparency No Trend Total Phosphorus Increasing 95% 202 Chlorophyll a 1995, Increasing 90% Total Phosphorus Trend for Lower Cullen Lake Total Phosphorus (ug/l) Figure 11. Total phosphorus trend for site 202 from 1991, Site 202 shows a possible increasing trend in total phosphorus and chlorophyll a. In particular, the maximums are increasing over the years. Table 8 shows no trend for transparency; however, the trend analysis did pick up a weaker trend (80% confidence). The next few years of transparency data will confirm if a trend is developing or if it is a random result of the data. Transparency monitoring at site 202 should continue to be tracked in future years. RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc. 10 of Lower Cullen Lake

11 Ecoregion Comparisons Minnesota is divided into 7 ecoregions based on land use, vegetation, precipitation and geology (Figure 12). The MPCA has developed a way to determine the "average range" of water quality expected for lakes in each ecoregion. From , the MPCA evaluated the lake water quality for reference lakes. These reference lakes are not considered pristine, but are considered to have little human impact and therefore are representative of the typical lakes within the ecoregion. The "average range" refers to the 25 th - 75 th percentile range for data within each ecoregion. For the purpose of this graphical representation, the means of the reference lake data sets were used. Lower Cullen Lake is in the Northern Lakes and Forests Ecoregion. The mean total phosphorus, chlorophyll a and transparency (secchi depth) for Lower Cullen are all within the expected ecoregion ranges (Fig.13). Figure 12. Minnesota Ecoregions Total Phosphorus (ug/l, ppb) Chlorophyll-a (ug/l, ppb) Secchi depth (ft) increased algae crystal clear 0 NLF Ecoregion Lower Cullen 0 NLF Ecoregion Lower Cullen 30 NLF Ecoregion Lower Cullen Figures 13a-c. Lower Cullen Lake ranges compared to Northern Lakes and Forest Ecoregion ranges. The Lower Cullen Lake total phosphorus and chlorophyll a ranges are from 102 data points collected in May- September of 1991, The Lower Cullen Lake secchi depth range is from 362 data points collected in May-September from 1995, RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc. 11 of Lower Cullen Lake

12 Lakeshed Data and Interpretations Lakeshed Understanding a lakeshed requires an understanding of basic hydrology. A watershed is defined as all land and water surface area that contribute excess water to a defined point. The MN DNR has delineated three basic scales of watersheds (from large to small): 1) basins, 2) major watersheds, and 3) minor watersheds. The Crow Wing River Major Watershed is one of the watersheds that make up the Upper Mississippi River Basin, which drains south to the Gulf of Mexico (Figure 14). This major watershed is made up of 136 minor watersheds. Lower Cullen Lake is located in minor watershed (Figure 15). Figure 14.Crow Wing River Major Watershed. Figure 15. Minor Watershed The MN DNR also has evaluated catchments for each individual lake with greater than 100 acres surface area. These lakesheds (catchments) are the building blocks for the larger scale watersheds. Lower Cullen Lake falls within lakeshed (Figure 16). Though very useful for displaying the land and water that contribute directly to a lake, lakesheds are not always true watersheds because they may not show the water flowing into a lake from upstream streams or rivers. While some lakes may have only one or two upstream lakesheds draining into them, others may be connected to a large number of lakesheds, reflecting a larger drainage area via stream or river networks. For further discussion of Lower Cullen Lake s full watershed, containing all the upstream lakesheds, see page 17. The data interpretation of the Lower Cullen Lake lakeshed is only Figure 16. The Lower Cullen Lake lakeshed ( ) Lakeshed. RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc. 12 of Lower Cullen Lake

13 the immediate lakeshed, not including the upstream lakesheds, as this area is the land surface that flows directly into Lower Cullen Lake. The lakeshed vitals table identifies where to focus organizational and management efforts for each lake (Table 9). Criteria were developed using limnological concepts to determine the effect to lake water quality. KEY Possibly detrimental to the lake Warrants attention Beneficial to the lake Table 9. Lakeshed vitals for Lower Cullen Lake. Lakeshed Vitals Rating Lake Area 560 acres descriptive Littoral Zone Area 236 acres descriptive Lake Max Depth 39 ft. descriptive Lake Mean Depth 19 ft. Water Residence Time NA NA Miles of Stream 0.01 descriptive Inlets 1 Outlets 1 Major Watershed 12 Crow Wing River descriptive Minor Watershed descriptive Lakeshed descriptive Ecoregion Northern Lakes and Forest descriptive Total Lakeshed to Lake Area Ratio (total lakeshed includes lake area) 2:1 Standard Watershed to Lake Basin Ratio (standard watershed includes lake areas) 22:1 Wetland Coverage 2.0% Aquatic Invasive Species Public Drainage Ditches Public Lake Accesses 1 None None Miles of Shoreline 3.9 descriptive Shoreline Development Index 1.2 Public Land to Private Land Ratio 0.09:1 Development Classification General Development Miles of Road 5.5 descriptive Municipalities in lakeshed Nisswa, Pequot Lakes County Forest Management: Forestry Practices Feedlots None Individual Subsurface Sewage Treatment Sewage Management Systems (Inspection and assessment required for all permits and property transfers within the Shoreland Protection Zone) Lake Management Plan Management Plan, 2011 Lake Vegetation Survey/Plan MNDNR 2007 & 2009 RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc. 13 of Lower Cullen Lake

14 Land Cover / Land Use The activities that occur on the land within the lakeshed can greatly impact a lake. Land use planning helps ensure the use of land resources in an organized fashion so that the needs of the present and future generations can be best addressed. The basic purpose of land use planning is to ensure that each area of land will be used in a manner that provides maximum social benefits without degradation of the land resource. Changes in land use, and ultimately land cover, impact the hydrology of a lakeshed. Land cover is also directly related to the lands ability to absorb and store water rather than cause it to flow overland (gathering nutrients and sediment as it moves) towards the lowest point, typically the lake. Impervious intensity describes the lands inability Figure 17. The Lower Cullen Lake lakeshed ( ) land cover ( to absorb water, the higher the % impervious intensity the more area that water cannot penetrate in to the soils. Monitoring the changes in land use can assist in future planning procedures to address the needs of future generations. Phosphorus export, which is the main cause of lake eutrophication, depends on the type of land cover occurring in the lakeshed. Figure 17 depicts the land cover in Lower Cullen Lake s lakeshed. The University of Minnesota has online records of land cover statistics from years 1990 and 2000 ( Although this data is 12 years old, it is the only data set available for comparing land use changes over a decade s time. Table 10 describes Lower Cullen Lake s lakeshed land cover statistics and percent change from 1990 to Due to the many factors that influence demographics, one cannot determine with certainty the projected statistics over the next 10, 20, 30+ years, but one can see the transition within the lakeshed from agriculture and water acreages to forest and urban acreages. The largest change in percentage is the increase in grass/shrub/wetland cover (19%). In addition, the impervious intensity has increased, which has implications for storm water runoff into the lake. The increase in impervious intensity is consistent with the increase in urban acreage. RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc. 14 of Lower Cullen Lake

15 Table 10. Lower Cullen Lake s lakeshed land cover statistics and % change from 1990 to 2000 ( % Change Land Cover Acres Percent Acres Percent 1990 to 2000 Agriculture % Decrease Grass/Shrub/Wetland % Increase Forest % Increase Water % Decrease Urban % Increase Impervious Intensity % % Decrease % Increase % Increase % Increase % Increase No change No change Total Area Total Impervious Area (Percent Impervious Area Excludes Water Area) % Increase Demographics Lower Cullen Lake is classified as a recreational development lake. Recreational development lakes usually have between 60 and 225 acres of water per mile of shoreline, between 3 and 25 dwellings per mile of shoreline, and are more than 15 feet deep. The Minnesota Department of Administration Geographic and Demographic Analysis Division extrapolated future population in 5-year increments out to Compared to Crow Wing County as a whole, the City of Nisswa has a higher extrapolated growth projection. However, the City of Pequot Lakes has a lower extrapolated growth projection (Figure 18). Figure 18. Population growth projection for the City of Nisswa and City of Pequot Lakes and Crow Wing County. (source: ate.mn.us/resource.html?i d=19332) RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc. 15 of Lower Cullen Lake

16 Lower Cullen Lake Lakeshed Water Quality Protection Strategy Each lakeshed has a different makeup of public and private lands. Looking in more detail at the makeup of these lands can give insight on where to focus protection efforts. The protected lands (easements, wetlands, public land) are the future water quality infrastructure for the lake. Developed land and agriculture have the highest phosphorus runoff coefficients, so this land should be minimized for water quality protection. The majority of the land within Lower Cullen Lake s lakeshed is made up of private forested uplands (Table 11). This land can be the focus of development and protection efforts in the lakeshed. A runoff coefficient for county land is not included in Table 11 because county land consisted of primarily paved roads and right of way areas. Table 11. Land ownership, land use/land cover, estimated phosphorus loading, and ideas for protection and restoration in the lakeshed (Sources: Crow Wing County parcel data, National Wetlands Inventory, and the 2006 National Land Cover Dataset). Private (48.7%) 47% Public (4.3%) Developed Agriculture Forested Uplands Other Wetlands Open Water County State Federal Land Use (%) 0.5% 1.6% 21% 23.6% 2% 47% 3% 1.3% 0% Runoff Coefficient Lbs of phosphorus/acre/ year Estimated Phosphorus Loading Acerage x runoff coefficient Description Focused on Shoreland Cropland Focus of development and protection efforts Open, pasture, grassland, shrubland Protected Potential Phase 3 Discussion Items Shoreline restoration Restore wetlands; CRP Forest stewardship planning, 3 rd party certification, SFIA, local woodland cooperatives Protected by Wetland Conservation Act County Tax Forfeit Lands State Forest National Forest DNR Fisheries approach for lake protection and restoration Credit: Peter Jacobson and Michael Duval, Minnesota DNR Fisheries In an effort to prioritize protection and restoration efforts of fishery lakes, the MN DNR has developed a ranking system by separating lakes into two categories, those needing protection and those needing restoration. Modeling by the DNR Fisheries Research Unit suggests that total phosphorus concentrations increase significantly over natural concentrations in lakes that have watershed with disturbance greater than 25%. Therefore, lakes with watersheds that have less than 25% disturbance need protection and lakes with more than 25% disturbance need restoration (Table 12). Watershed disturbance was defined as having urban, agricultural and mining land uses. Watershed protection is defined as publicly owned land or conservation easement. RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc. 16 of Lower Cullen Lake

17 Table 12. Suggested approaches for watershed protection and restoration of DNR-managed fish lakes in Minnesota. Watershed Watershed Management Disturbance Protected Comments Type (%) (%) Sufficiently protected -- Water quality supports healthy and > 75% Vigilance diverse native fish communities. Keep public lands protected. < 25% < 75% Protection 25-60% n/a Full Restoration > 60% n/a Partial Restoration Excellent candidates for protection -- Water quality can be maintained in a range that supports healthy and diverse native fish communities. Disturbed lands should be limited to less than 25%. Realistic chance for full restoration of water quality and improve quality of fish communities. Disturbed land percentage should be reduced and BMPs implemented. Restoration will be very expensive and probably will not achieve water quality conditions necessary to sustain healthy fish communities. Restoration opportunities must be critically evaluated to assure feasible positive outcomes. The next step was to prioritize lakes within each of these management categories. DNR Fisheries identified high value fishery lakes, such as cisco refuge lakes. Ciscos (Coregonus artedi) can be an early indicator of eutrophication in a lake because they require cold hypolimnetic temperatures and high dissolved oxygen levels. These watersheds with low disturbance and high value fishery lakes are excellent candidates for priority protection measures, especially those that are related to forestry and minimizing the effects of landscape disturbance. Forest stewardship planning, harvest coordination to reduce hydrology impacts and forest conservation easements are some potential tools that can protect these high value resources for the long term. Lower Cullen Lake lakeshed is classified with having 47.0% of the watershed protected and 3.1% of the watershed disturbed (Figure 19). Therefore, Lower Cullen Lake should have a protection focus. Most of the existing protected area is the lake itself. Goals for this lakeshed should be to limit any increase in disturbed land use. Figure 20 displays the upstream lakesheds that contribute water to the lakeshed of interest. All of the land and water area in this figure has the potential to contribute water to Lower Cullen Lake, whether through direct overland flow or through a creek or river. All of the 6 upstream lakesheds have the same management focus (protection). Percent of the Watershed Protected 0% 75% 100% Lower Cullen Lake (47.0%) Percent of the Watershed with Disturbed Land Cover 0% 25% 100% Lower Cullen Lake (3.1%) Figure 19. Lower Cullen Lake lakeshed s percentage of watershed protected and disturbed. Figure 20. Upstream lakesheds that contribute water to the Lower Cullen lakeshed. Color-coded based on management focus (Table 12). RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc. 17 of Lower Cullen Lake

18 Lower Cullen, Status of the Fishery (as of 07/20/2009) The last walleye stocking into Lower Cullen was a private stocking in Numbers have remained fairly low since that point. The catch rate in 2009 was 2.2/gill net. Average size was 23.4" and 4.7 lbs. All of the fish were over 15". Northern pike numbers were the lowest since 1974 with only 2.2/gill net. Average size was 24.3" and 3.3 lbs. These fish were fast growing and 35% were 24" or larger. Largemouth bass were captured in good numbers while spring electrofishing (84.0/hr run-time). Average length was 12.0" and 52% were 12" or larger. One smallmouth bass was also captured in gill nets. Panfish were caught in average numbers when compared to similar lakes. Black crappies averaged 9.8". Bluegills averaged on the small side (5.3") with 23% of the fish measuring 7" or larger. They were slow growing. Other fish species sampled include black bullhead, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), white sucker, yellow bullhead, and yellow perch. See the link below for specific information on gillnet surveys, stocking information, and fish consumption guidelines. Key Findings / Recommendations Monitoring Recommendations Transparency monitoring at site 202 should be continued annually. It is important to continue transparency monitoring weekly or at least bimonthly every year to enable year-to-year comparisons and trend analyses. Total phosphorus and chlorophyll a data should be monitored, as the budget allows, to enable future trend analyses. Overall Conclusions Overall, Lower Cullen Lake has good water quality, but it is possibly declining in quality. The immediate lakeshed is in fairly good shape for lakeshed protection. It is a mesotrophic lake (TSI=44) with possible declining water quality trends in all three parameters. Four percent (4%) of the lakeshed is in public ownership, and 47% of the watershed is protected, while only 3% of the watershed is disturbed (Figure 19). Lower Cullen Lake is at the end of the Cullen Chain of Lakes, so all the other lakes flow into it. The full watershed for this lake is 12,258 acres. Priority Impacts to the Lake The priority impact to Lower Cullen Lake is current and additional development. The first tier around the lake is mostly developed, and the southern shore is heavily developed (Figure 16). The city of Nisswa sits at the southern end of the lake, and the city of Pequot Lakes sits at the north end of the watershed. Best Management Practices Recommendations The management focus for Lower Cullen Lake should be to restore the current water quality and protect the lakeshed. Efforts should be focused on managing and/or decreasing the impact caused by additional development, including second tier development, and impervious surface RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc. 18 of Lower Cullen Lake

19 area. Project ideas include protecting land with conservation easements, enforcing county shoreline ordinances, smart development, shoreline restoration, rain gardens, and septic system maintenance. Projects that could help improve the water quality of Lower Cullen Lake include runoff and sedimentation reduction in the cities of Nisswa and Pequot Lakes and around Middle and Upper Cullen Lakes. Although it may not be possible to decrease the impervious area in these lakesheds, it is possible to reduce the impact of the impervious surface by retaining stormwater instead of allowing it to runoff into the lake. Future Studies Future studies that would better pinpoint the impacts on the lake and possible reasons for declining water quality include a shoreline inventory, monitoring for internal loading, and a watershed flow analysis. The shoreline inventory would consist of boating around the lake and rating each parcel as to how much of the frontage has a vegetative buffer. This could be done upstream in the inlet as well. Monitoring for internal loading involves collecting hypolimnion water samples (water samples taken 1 foot above the lake s bottom) and corresponding dissolved oxygen profiles. A watershed flow analysis would be done using GIS software to see the areas of heaviest runoff into the lake. This analysis would also help pinpoint whether the cities of Nisswa and Pequot Lakes are impacting the lake or not. County-wide Recommendation In order to better manage the impact of septic systems on lake water quality, it is recommended that the county implement a lake-wide septic inspection program. In a program such as this, the county would focus on one to three lakes a year, pull septic system records on those lakes, and require old systems to be inspected. This program can rotate through the county doing a few lakes each year. Organizational contacts and reference sites Cullen Lakes Association DNR Fisheries Office Regional Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Office Crow Wing Soil and Water Conservation District Crow Wing County Environmental Services Department Minnesota Drive, Brainerd, MN brainerd.fisheries@state.mn.us 7678 College Road, Suite 105, Baxter, MN , Crow Wing County Land Services Building 322 Laurel St. Suite 13, Brainerd, MN Crow Wing County Land Services Building 322 Laurel St. Suite 14, Brainerd, MN Funding This project was funded in part by the Board of Water & Soil Resources and the Initiative Foundation, a regional foundation. RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc. 19 of Lower Cullen Lake