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4
<br />tor fish tend to be more sensitive while
<br />bullheads and other small fish can survive.
<br />The small fish remaining after a fish kill
<br />eat the zooplankton that eats algae, so the
<br />algae population goes up. To restore the
<br />food chain balance, Karth Lake donors
<br />have twice provided funds to stock Karth
<br />Lake with DNR-approved large mouth
<br />bass fingerlings: 900 in 2010 and 500 in
<br />2013, (In 2013 we were the first group to
<br />use the Arden Hills Foundation to collect
<br />and disperse our donations.) The bass we
<br />added eat the small fish, and this drives
<br />up the zooplankton population and drives
<br />down the algae population.
<br />Buckthorn battles
<br />Buckthorn is a shallow-rooted invasive
<br />tree that crowds out native deep-rooted
<br />plants that filter out nutrients before they
<br />reach the lake. We have removed buck-
<br />thorn from the property of two Karth Lake
<br />residents who invited our help. We also
<br />worked with the City on two occasions to
<br />remove buckthorn from Cummings Park.
<br />Frequent flyers
<br />We have distributed flyers to neighbors
<br />on Karth Lake that explain best practices
<br />for keeping nutrients out of the lake (e.g.
<br />keeping fertilizer, grass clippings and soap
<br />water from running down storm drains).
<br />It’s a marathon, not a sprint
<br />There are still many places in the water-
<br />shed where rain gardens would reduce the
<br />inflow of nutrients. We will continue to
<br />monitor and improve Karth Lake water
<br />quality. Space doesn’t allow me to be
<br />specific here, but many thanks to all of the
<br />Karth Lake neighbors, the City and Wa-
<br />tershed District staff members who have
<br />partnered with us in this effort.
<br />
<br />Karth Lake, continued from page 1
<br />When a youth or adult is
<br />struggling with life issues,
<br />or when a family is having
<br />relationship difficulties, an agency in
<br />our community is available to help.
<br />Northeast Youth & Family Services,
<br />located at 3490 Lexington Ave., Suite
<br />205, in Shoreview, (across the street
<br />from Arden Plaza), has been in exis-
<br />tence for nearly 35 years. The social
<br />service, mental health, and behavioral
<br />health nonprofit serves all members of
<br />participating communities, including
<br />Arden Hills. Insurance is accepted and,
<br />when applicable, a sliding fee scale is
<br />employed. NYFS helps over 4,000 indi-
<br />viduals and families every year.
<br />Some history
<br />NYFS was created in 1976 by a coali-
<br />tion of concerned residents, as well as
<br />business and community leaders, that
<br />wanted a local agency that would help
<br />youth and families build stronger, better
<br />lives. Recently the agency merged with
<br />the White Bear Area Community Coun-
<br />seling Center and this has expanded its
<br />presence in the north metro area. NYFS
<br />primarily serves youth age 15 to 21,
<br />though any resident of any age may
<br />contact the agency for assistance. There
<br />is also an additional service for seniors 60
<br />and over, the Senior Chore program.
<br />One of the strengths of working with
<br />NYFS is that an individual is treated in
<br />context of their personal, school, and
<br />social life. Further, the goal of community
<br />engagement and citizenship is important
<br />so that individuals can find meaningful
<br />relationships in both service and serving.
<br />The agency also offers services to clients
<br />of various cultural backgrounds and has a
<br />therapist on staff who is fluent in Spanish.
<br />Individuals who are not fluent in Eng-
<br />lish can call NYFS at 651-486-3808, say
<br />“interpreter”, and then give their phone
<br />number and preferred language. Their call
<br />will be returned shortly with an interpreter.
<br />Mental health
<br />NYFS offers outpatient mental health
<br />counseling to people of all ages and stages
<br />in life, specializing in the mental health
<br />needs of youth. Individual, group and fam-
<br />ily counseling services are available. Some
<br />of the issues NYFS staff are trained to ad-
<br />dress include depression, family conflict,
<br />behavioral issues, anxiety, ADD/ADHD,
<br />and various types of relationship conflicts.
<br />A licensed professional is matched with a
<br />client in order to achieve the best results
<br />as quickly as possible.
<br />Youth development
<br />NYFS youth development programs ad-
<br />dress and strengthen skills in four core
<br />areas: academic achievement, employabil-
<br />ity, citizenship, and life skills. A variety
<br />of programs, such as youth employment
<br />or juvenile delinquency prevention, ad-
<br />dress each youth’s specific needs. One
<br />youth program, STEP (Service + Tutoring
<br />Equals Pride) works with middle-school
<br />youth who have academic and social diffi-
<br />culties. Partnerships with Americorps and
<br />the Alliance with Youth expand the capa-
<br />bilities of this program to explore college
<br />and post-secondary educational opportuni-
<br />ties. Another area of focus is on closing
<br />the achievement gap between at-risk and
<br />marginalized youth and their peers.
<br />NETS
<br />Day treatment services for youth strug-
<br />gling with severe mental health and behav-
<br />ioral issues are available through NYFS’
<br />Northeast Youth & Family Services: Real help. Right here. Right now.
<br />by Lois Rem
<br />Continued on page 5
<br />2009 2013
<br />Total Phosphorus
<br />(algae growth-enabling
<br />nutrient)
<br />micrograms/liter
<br />Less than
<br />60 60 41*
<br />Chlorophyll-A (a
<br />marker for algae)
<br />micrograms/liter
<br />Less than
<br />40 38 6
<br />Secchi Disk Depth
<br />(Depth that a white
<br />disk is visible -- a
<br />measure of clarity)
<br />Meters
<br />Greater
<br />than 1.0 0.8 2.95
<br />Karth Lake Water Quality Improvements:
<br />Nutrients Down, Clarity Up,
<br />All Now Surpass State Standards
<br />Karth Lake
<br />All data from Citizen Assisted Monitoring Program (CAMP)
<br />sponsored by RCWD and Metropolitan Council (MC)
<br />* TP data is from 2012: The MC Labs have not yet completed
<br />analysis of 2013 water samples.
<br /> May through September
<br />Averages
<br />MN State
<br />StandardMeasurements
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