Powderhorn Lake finally gets cleanup

by Jennifer Harris

If you ever begin to doubt the power of individuals against a bureaucracy, just take a glance at Powderhorn Lake this summer. After three years of hard work, volunteer members of the Save Our Lake! committee got exactly the results they wanted.
Powderhorn Lake is a self-contained watershed; that is, all of the water that goes into storm sewers in the Powderhorn Neighborhood, and about half of the Central Neighborhood, goes straight into the lake, and apart from a pumping system used when necessary, the only outlet is evaporation. Over the years, fertilizer running off local lawns, as well as dead leaves, pet feces, road salt etc. have given the lake an increased phosphorus level, resulting in water fouled with algae. According to the City Physical Environment survey, the water in Powderhorn Lake is the worst in the city.
The lake is used by a variety of people, including 50,000 for the annual May Day celebration, 25,000 for the July 4th fireworks, and up to 60,000 for the Powderhorn Art Fair. The DNR stocks Powderhorn Lake with pan fish such as bluegills and black crappies, in keeping with the lake's designation as a kid's fishing pond.
In 1975 the Minneapolis Park and Recreation department installed an aeration system to reduce the number of fish killed during the winter. It is generally operated from January until the ice is gone. Other than this, there has not been a lot of intervention in the destruction of the lake.
Three years ago a group of residents in nearby neighborhoods formed the Save Our Lake! committee to find solutions to the problems facing Powderhorn Lake. They surveyed lake users to determine how people felt about the lake. Not surprisingly, water quality was the biggest issue. Save Our Lake! then came up with several recommendations to improve water quality, including year-round aeration of the lake, grit chambers to filter some of the storm sewer runoff, alum treatment for phosphorus already in the lake, shoreline plantings, and an education program to reduce future phosphorus. The total cost was estimated to be around $550,000.
Then they approached the Park Board and the DNR. Save Our Lake! was told that all money had already been earmarked for other purposes. They were denied funding in 1998, 1999 and 2000. In a time when between $9 and $11 million dollars were being spent to fix up Lake of the Isles, including some purely cosmetic improvements, $550,000 didn't seem like an unreasonable request.
Last year the committee stepped up its activity. They had a representative at every Park Board meeting, they called the Park Board commissioners, they got Superintendent of Parks Mary Merrill Anderson to tour the park with them.
And guess what? It worked! In her budget for this year, Anderson included money for Powderhorn Lake. The Park Board and Mayor Sharon Sayles-Belton approved the budget.
Starting this summer, sometime after the May Day celebration, there will be a variety of improvements to Powderhorn Lake. The city's Public Works department is funding several improvements, including the installation of grit chambers, as well as street cleaning and goose control. The Park Board is providing money for a water quality education program, a pump to provide aeration during the three remaining seasons, shoreline plantings to stop erosion, and the alum treatment. They are also working to educate local residents about the alternatives to phosphorus-based lawn fertilizer, as well as the hazards of allowing household chemicals and pet waste to wash into the storm drain.
All of this work is being planned to have a minimal effect on those using the park. They are taking events like the Art Fair into account to ensure that the pathways are open when needed.
As with Lake Nokomis, users will see results gradually until the completion of alum treatment, which will show immediate improvement in water clarity. At Powderhorn Lake, it will probably be done late this year or early next year.
When you enjoy Powderhorn Park and Lake this summer, reflect on how people working together were able to challenge the powers that be and improve their neighborhood. What else can be changed, if we all work together?