Updates - Fall Meeting & Upcoming Surveys

Oct 4, 2024
3 min read

"The LLWA Fall meeting will be moved to early December (exact date TBD). The reasons for the late date include:

1. We will have data from the fish surveys to be shared by then (see attached email)

2. A new Water Resources Specialist will have started by then. For context, Samantha (Sam) Berger got promoted to the job of Natural Resources Coordinator, and her replacement should be hired by mid-November. Both of them will attend our early December meeting.

3. The Long Lake Iron Enhanced Sand Filter has had some maintenance completed on the upstream filter and we are waiting to get some rain to see how the monitoring samples look.

We will send out a meeting invite as soon as we secure a date and venue. Please plan on attending.

Attached Letter:

Subject: Upcoming Electro-Fishing Surveys - Long, Farquar, and Surrounding Ponds

I wanted to provide an update to the Long and Farquar Lake Associations regarding a planned electrofishing survey happening next week Monday (10/07/24), with trap net surveys happening Tuesday and Wednesday. The City has hired WSB Engineering to complete electrofishing and trapnet surveys on Long and Farquar Lake and the surrounding ponds. See map below. I was informed the survey would happen, Monday, on today (Friday), so I apologize for the late notice.

Fish Surveys

The City regularly conducts fish surveys using temporary trap nets. Last year, we conducted electrofishing on Long Lake and the surrounding ponds ahead of the drawdown to analyze fish populations, this year’s survey will help us determine the effectiveness of the 2023-4 drawdown as well as understand the current fish populations. Fish surveys help evaluate the type and size of fish in the lake, which can have an impact on water quality. This year, the City will complete electrofishing, in addition to trap nets, as this method provides a better assessment for certain types of fish species, such as goldfish, that have a tendency to avoid trap nets. The City’s consultant has obtained permits from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to complete this project.

The electrofishing survey involves using a current of electricity to temporarily stun fish that are near the boat at the time. The fish are collected in a net, measured and then released where they will quickly recover. Fish are not permanently harmed from electrofishing. Unwanted roughfish, such as goldfish or carp, will be removed from the lake and disposed of at the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Organic Recycling Facility. Electrofishing is commonly used by the MN Department of Natural Resources and other agencies for certain types of fish assessments.

As noted by Long Lake and Farquar Lake residents and City staff, there is a population of goldfish in the lakes and surrounding ponds. Goldfish feed on the bottom of the lake, similar to carp, and when their populations are high, they can stir up the bottom sediments and release phosphorus that contributes to algae blooms. Past fish surveys indicate that the population of goldfish is likely fairly low at this time, due to no goldfish being captured in the trap nets. Goldfish are considered to be one of the more difficult species to catch in a trap net though and a better assessment on their population can be done through electrofishing. The electrofishing survey will help confirm the current goldfish abundance in the lake, as well as give some indications on whether the population is reproducing in the lake.