The Greater Jefferson German Lakes Association

Dear Jefferson-German Lakes Association Board Members,

My name is Aaron Wills and I work for the Cannon River Watershed Partnership (CRWP). I am writing to you in regards to sewage treatment on Jefferson German Lakes. One of my roles at CRWP is to assist homeowners, small communities, subdivisions, etc. with finding solutions to treating their sewage, which includes not only the technical aspect of sewage treatment but also the financing and legal parts of the solution. Currently, I’m working with a couple small communities around Owatonna (Hope, Bixby, Meriden) as well as lake residents on Roberds Lake near Faribault and Lake Byllesby near Cannon Falls.

At a recent public meeting that my co-workers from CRWP attended about the upcoming TMDL, they received numerous questions about what is being done about sewage treatment around the lake. Based on the interest at the meeting, over the past few weeks I’ve been researching what work was done in the past on this issue. From what I can tell, after the survey conducted by Le Sueur County came back showing many property owners opposed the sewer pipe around the lakes, organized work on upgrading sewage treatment around the lakes fizzled. I’m writing to you to see first of all if there is work being done on this and if I can be of any assistance. If there’s not, do you know of people who want to upgrade their systems or put in some type of system to serve a group of properties that I could contact or assist in some way. I’d be very interested to come out and meet with any of you, or a group of you from the Board of the Lake Association to talk about ideas or just to learn more about your perspectives on the issue and what solutions you see.

CRWP’s goal is clean, healthy lakes that we can all be proud of. If there are other issues besides sewage treatment that we can be of assistance with, please let me know that as well. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.

Aaron Wills

Aaron Wills

Cannon River Watershed Partnership

8997 Eaves Ave.

Northfield, MN 55057

(507) 786-3914

Check out our website at www.crwp.net

In PDF here.

Published on behalf of Bob Sutter. Please reply to him at <jeepster21@mchsi.com>. Thank you.

June 24, 2009

Robert Sutter
24641 Irish Lane
(East Jefferson Lake)
Cleveland, MN 56017


Studies, consultants, fly-overs, lectures from the CRWP, that have all cost the Jefferson-
German Lake Association fund dollars, have not gotten rid of the weed problem in our lakes. The milfoil problem continues to grow, but even that pales in comparison to this year’s (spring ’09) curly-leaf infestation. Which has to be as bad as it’s ever been in the past. Then on 6/21 the curly-leaf finally drops down off East Jefferson and on the next day the accompanying decay of the curly-leaf leaves a blue-green-brown scummy, foul smelling residue along the north shoreline that is the most uninviting mess I have ever seen or smelled. This should not be a consequence of lake living. This can and should be prevented.

I am not an expert on water quality but in my opinion this unsightly mess is the result of the water warming up and the tea-bag like piles of weed decomposing under the water along with the algae blooming. I would hope other residents and users of Big Jeff should be appalled and up in arms, willing to do what it takes immediately to fix this problem

As the Board of Directors of the Jefferson-German Lakes Association please do something soon. This cannot wait for a 2 or 3 year study. Our friends on Lake Washington have chemically treated the weeds for years and they don’t have the weed problem we do. Could the answer be they stand together and have aggressively dealt with these invasive weeds? Yes, Lake Washington recently got a sewer pipe, but a sewer pipe does not eliminate weeds. Chemicals and hard work do that. Your association membership pay dues and let’s put that money to address the number one problem in Big Jeff – weeds (curly-leaf and milfoil). If there is a phosphorous run off polluting the lake and stimulating weed growth, then identify the source(s) and stop it. To me these invasive weed species are like dandy lions, if you don’t do something every year they take over.

We need to do something now. The DNR needs to provide some help and guidance as well. But thinking, “it’s somebody else’s problem” or “wait till next year, maybe it will get better”, won’t help. We have the ability, the means, and it’s certainly a necessity. So please, before it gets worse let’s do everything possible to protect and restore out beautiful and precious resource.

I look forward to a response. Thank you for your time and consideration.



Sincerely,
Bob Sutter
Concerned Lake Resident

C.C. Board of Directors

from newsletter editor, Don Jackson:

Loch Ness has “Nessie”... Does Lake Jefferson have a “Jeffy”?
I’ve heard rumors and stories about some kind of very big “beast” in our lakes. Now I have proof! Last June I was driving home on the north side of West Jefferson on 464th st. and I saw this “monster” about 200 feet offshore. It was 15 to 20 feet long and kept undulating up and down. I took several pictures (see below) then left. Two hours later it was still there, but had moved to the west. Also three or four pelicans that had been feeding in the background were missing. (Jeffie’s lunch?) If you look closely you can see the whiskers on his (her?) chin. A half hour later, it was back underwater. I have no idea what it was or where it went (to the deeper waters of German Lake?). If you know what this might be, please enlighten the rest of us. Something is down there.

An interesting study on the impact of the carp fish species on lake water quality (from Buster West).

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Image source: nematode.unl.edu/carp.htm