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The Conservation Mentor
<br />a t~ in .1^eSf ~ tl S !"e r~!/aS B~'Cti S C C Cat! '
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<br />Although 42 percent of Dakota For example, 35 percent of those ~ with a follow-up survey in`fall 1997 `
<br />county residents chose groundwater • ~ surveyed said that they had a ~ to judge the effectiveness of a -
<br />protectonand 22 percent chose _ compost heap on. their property and countywide educational campaign.. "
<br />surface water quality as the first-~or composted most ofthe ieayes they "The SWCD-received a grant for the "
<br />second-ranked environmental raked.. Almost 70 percent either. ~ survey from the Metropolitan ~ .-
<br />priority in their county, many do not mulched grass clippings or left them . CounciPs Twin Cities Watei ,
<br />understand the link between their on.the lawn; although most people Quality Initiative. _
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<br />own lawn care practices and water did not understand that leaving - « , - '
<br />I m really pleased we~had so many
<br />quality, according to a recently . grass clippings on the lawn de- -
<br />people respond. I think there's a
<br />completed survey of urban Dakota ,
<br />~ 'creased the need for fertilizer _
<br />general lack ofunderstanding on -
<br />-county residents.
<br />-. treatments. In addition, 86 percent many of-these issues; and I think it
<br /> of those who own ro erty on a lake
<br />.For example, ~58 percent did not
<br />, realize that storm sewers-which
<br />handle the lawn.and driveway-
<br />, runoffthat often contains fertilizer,
<br />-.grass clippings, and other pollut-
<br />ants=generally.emptyderectly into
<br />nearby surface waters, thus having
<br />a major impact on surface water . _
<br />quality.
<br />In addition, while a majority of.
<br />respondents fertilized their lawns
<br />once or twice during the survey year
<br />and applied weed killer at least
<br />once, most residents did not know
<br />the phosphorous content of their
<br />fertilizer, and had not had their soil
<br />tested within the past~few years.
<br />However, while they may not fully
<br />realize the connection between lawn
<br />care and water quality, many
<br />residents are making environmen-
<br />tallysound lawn care decisions.
<br />GP8S5 Lake continued from page I
<br />enrolled under the Federal Conser-
<br />vation Reserve (CRP) Program.
<br />As a.result of the already consider-.
<br />able CRP and RIM acreage, white-
<br />tailed deer and other wildlife are
<br />thriving. According to the~US Fish
<br />and Wildlife Service, pheasant and
<br />other game birds can be found in
<br />large numbers.during dry cycles,
<br />but the regular flooding results in
<br />many destroyed nests. However; it
<br />. can attract many thousands of
<br />waterfowl and shorebirds, if the
<br />flooding corresponds to those
<br />species' migratory patterns.
<br />The Gras~Lake restoration would
<br />provide intense visual appeal, high
<br />P P
<br />or other body of water said that they
<br />maintained~a buffer strip 6~tween
<br />the water and their lawn. _- -
<br />The~survey also asked people to
<br />name the source for most of their
<br />information about water quality and_
<br />waste disposal. Most respondents
<br />indicated that cormunity newspa-
<br />. pers,city newsletters, county -
<br />government mailings, and informa-
<br />tion from friends; neighbors and
<br />coworkers provided the bulk of their
<br />data on those topics.
<br />The Dakota County Environmental
<br />Education Program hired aprofes-
<br />sional survey firm, Decision Re-
<br />sources, Ltd. of Minneapolis to
<br />conduct the survey in order to
<br />'d t f 'd t '
<br />has given us a foundation to build
<br />upon to create educational mes-
<br />sages," said Charlotte Shover, _ -
<br />environmental education coordina-
<br />for -for Dakota County
<br />In addition to the completed survey
<br />and nest year's follow-up survey, "
<br />the educational campaign includes -
<br />mediapackets and displa3~s on
<br />various residential. environmental
<br />issues;.identification of sensitive -
<br />hydrologic areas; soil and water
<br />qualitytesting; encouraging lawn
<br />and garden companies to promote '
<br />low-phosphorous fertilizers and '
<br />low-maintenance plants; and the
<br />funding of 26 school performan~es~
<br />of a CLIMB Theatre play on_water
<br />quality entitled "Toadilly Turtle."
<br />prove e an assessmen o rest ens
<br />environmental knowledge. Results ~ ~ ~ "
<br />from the survey, which was com- - -
<br />pleted last spring, will be compared - ~ 1
<br />numbers of waterfowl and other
<br />wildlife, and restored wetland
<br />ecology ideal for environmental
<br />study by university classes and
<br />local school districts. , -
<br />However, many obstacles must be
<br />overcome before work can begin,
<br />particularly within the city of
<br />Willmar. A report recently prepared
<br />for the city places the cost of
<br />installing the two lift pumps at
<br />nearly $4 million. The high cost is_ a
<br />concern, but city officials realize
<br />the pumps are needed to deal with
<br />their current flooding problems.
<br />"It's been an incredible challenge
<br />and quite an:education, working
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<br />with~a lot of different agencies, real
<br />estate (people), and the public
<br />relations community and landown-
<br />ers.It's been challenging, but-it's
<br />been fun. I've told a friend I'm
<br />going to work on-Lake Agassiz
<br />next,"said Engelby._
<br />(Ed. note: that would be a restora-
<br />tion project ~to be reckoned with!
<br />Lake. Agassiz, which once covered
<br />much of Manitoba, Ontario,
<br />Saskatchewan, ~Liinnesota and
<br />North Dakota, disappeared at the
<br />end of the last Ice Age.)
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