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Maintain the water quality of Round Lake. <br />There would be support of some water level manipulation if it improves habitat. <br />More public access would increase public support for the Round Lake Unit as a community <br />asset rather than it being viewed as simply a stormwater sewer. <br />Resource Management.Round Lake will be managed primarily as habitat for migrating <br />waterfowl. It is well suited to providing migratory habitat for diving ducks given itsbasin <br />configuration, submergent plant community, and low levels of human disturbance.Round Lake <br />will also support some dabbling duck,marsh bird, and riparian nesting speciesreproduction. <br />Management actions to support the primarywildlife use will focus on establishing and <br />maintaining a productive submergent plant communityas a food source for migratory birdson <br />portions of the lake basin.This will be accomplishedby maintaining water quality and clarity <br />andbyhaving water depthsmanipulated to follow an annual cycle of fluctuating waterlevels <br />typical for wetlands and shallow lake basins in this part of Minnesota.Management for nesting <br />marshbirds and dabbling ducks will also benefit from water level management that will maintain <br />and enhance the emergent vegetation within the basin. Management for riparian wildlife species <br />will consist of restoring and maintaining a healthy upland plant community adjacent to the <br />wetland basin. <br />As we do on other Refuge Units, we will implement active resource management on the Round <br />Lake Unit for the benefit of wildlife. These management activities include biological <br />monitoring, water level adjustments, andvegetation management. Biological monitoring <br />activities will be conducted by Refuge staff and volunteers. Examples of monitoring activities <br />are water level observations, marsh bird surveys, migratory bird counts, bald eagle productivity <br />surveys, fish populationsurveys, andlake vegetationsurveys. Adjusting water levels is a tool <br />used throughout the Refuge to stimulate food and plant cover conditions that provide quality <br />habitat for migratory and resident wildlife.Vegetation management projects toremove or <br />control undesirableor invasive species such as purple loosestrife or European buckthorn will be <br />conducted. <br />Public UseManagement.Public use will be expanded on a small portion of the Unit from the <br />existing wildlife observation to include environmental education and interpretation,as well as <br />public fishing.Presently, most public use is along a trail developed and maintained by the City <br />of Arden Hills that follows the westernshoreof Round Lake(Figure 2). The Service granted an <br />easement to the City of Arden Hills to enable the construction of this public use facility. <br />Environmental education and interpretationactivities will be focused on an outdoor classroom <br />and natural areaalonga small portion ofthe Lake’s south shore(Figure 3). We envision hosting <br />formal programs for school groups and the general public as well as providing less formal <br />opportunities for independent environmental studies.Formal programs would include activities <br />that give participants hands-on experiences with nature, as is done on other Refuge Units. Less <br />formal activitieswill range from birding to outdoor photography tosimply watching flocks of <br />waterfowl come into the lake. <br />We intend to provide fishing opportunities on this Unit, as we do on other Refuge Units. Several <br />Refuge lakes, ponds, and marshes are included in the Fishing in the Neighborhood(FIN) <br />programmanaged by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR). We <br />8/6/2013 5 USFWS RLMP <br />