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Gem Lake's watershed organization gave.an annual <br />report at the August City Council meeting, focusing on <br />the partnership between the city and. the Vadnais Lakes <br />Area Watershed Management Organization. <br />(VLAWMO.).. Phil Belfiori, VLAWMOadministrator, began <br />by thanking the city for the. cooperation they..have shown <br />.all year.on joint goals, and rioting. that Council Member <br />Jim Lindner also serves on the.organization's board of <br />directors. He added that Gem Lake.resident Gloria <br />Tessier sits on the organization's Technical Committee. <br />VLAWMO was established in 1983. as a joint powers <br />authority (JPA) between 6 communities that makeup the <br />area the watershed covers.. These communities are <br />Vadnais Heights, White Bear Lake, White Bear <br />Township, Gem Lake, North Oaks and Lino Lakes. This <br />comprises about 24 square miles. About 94% of.Gem <br />Lake falls within VLAWMO boundaries. The: other 6 <br />percent falls in. the : Ramsey. Washington Metro <br />Watershed. ❑istdct (RWMWa.).. <br />Programming that VLAWMO conducts focuses on water <br />quality of lakes and streams within its territory,.flood <br />Management, pursuing.grants that would beriefits those <br />in .the..district.for water projects, education and outreach, <br />etc, <br />In 2022, VLAWMO had. total expenditures of $1,029,394, <br />with 40% of this going to capital improvement projects for <br />Local lakes and streams, 17% going to landscape grate <br />programs, such as helping people build rain gardens in <br />the yards, and 9% going to lake and.stream water quality <br />monitoring. The rest of the expenditures were comprised <br />of operations and administration (16%)i engineering <br />review and research (9%), and education and outreach. <br />(9%), <br />Belfiori Highlighted joint projects that VLAWMD has <br />worked on with the. City of Gem Lake. High up on the list <br />has been a Long range project to maintain and improve <br />the water quality in the water body of Gem Lake. As a <br />result, it has been removed from the state's list of <br />impaired lakes. In addition, the organization has provided <br />the city with :education materials on things like smart <br />salting and illicit discharge, :all of which can be used at <br />community events and in the city newsletter. VLAWMO <br />alsoheld a seminar for those considering building a rain <br />garden.. The course was called Raingardens 101, and <br />was held at Heritage.Ha.il Iast.April. <br />