A filter here, a filter there helps water quality

White Bear Press

WHITE BEAR TOWNSHIP — Improving the water quality in Bald Eagle Lake is a work in progress.

To help in that endeavor, the Town Board approved construction of two rain gardens near the lake.

Stormwater will flow into the gardens, where it will be filtered before flowing into the lake.

The rain gardens will help improve the quality of the lake, which has been listed as a proposed impaired body of water for 2016, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. A proposed impaired body of water means Minnesota has sent the list of impaired waters to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, but the agency has not approved the list.

“This is a needed improvement to continue in the efforts to take Bald Eagle Lake off of the impaired listing,” noted Supervisor Steve Ruzek during the May 1 meeting.

Construction would involve tearing down Jersey barriers, which are small, rectangular medians often seen during construction, along the route and then building the two adjacent rain garden areas.

The Town Board approved a $31,700 contract with All-Weather Services for construction and maintenance of the rain gardens for the first year. After the first year, the township will take over the maintenance.

The cost for the rain gardens would be shared by the Ramsey Conservation District. The town would also apply for the Clean Water Grant Program from the Rice Creek Watershed District. The grant and the cost-share would provide up to 75 percent of the funding for the project, with the rest coming from the township.

In other action at the May 1 meeting, the board:

• Unanimously approved improvements to Apple Tree Park, including swing and multi-use playground replacements, park bench additions, basketball court renovations and adult exercise equipment additions.

The improvements would be done by St. Croix Recreation with an approved budget of $67,384.

The color scheme of the new equipment was selected by residents, Ruzek said.

“There is some purple equipment in the park and several of the neighborhood kids refer to it as the ‘purple park,’ so we have to make sure we keep some purple,” added Town Planner Tom Riedesel.

Funding for the improvements would come from the general parks budget.

• Heard a summary regarding the removal or trimming of a large cottonwood tree.

Staff had an arborist look at the tree to determine the danger of leaving it upright. The arborist recommended trimming the tree, but only up to 30 percent of the limbs in order to keep it healthy.

• Held a closed meeting for about an hour after the regular meeting regarding upcoming mediation of billing disputes for the water treatment rehabilitation of Well No. 5.