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The Chisago Lakes Lake Improvement District was represented by several members (remotely and in person) attending the Joint Sewer Treatment Commission monthly meeting this week. They were hoping to show support and provide expertise lighting a fire under a long delayed plan of action needed for eradication of a noxious, invasive species of weed with a foothold inside the treatment plant property.   

Phragmites was used in early treatment of sewer effluent to act as a natural filter.  It was thought the tall reed would absorb or “take up” the treated plant wastewater that is stored in drying beds, leaving the sludge in the dewatering ponds creating a concentrated biosolid.  

The treatment plant north of Chisago City on Lofton Avenue now needs to have ponds cleaned out to create capacity.  The major catch 22 in this issue is if the commission cleans out one pond, what’s to keep the phragmites growing a few feet away in the other ponds from encroaching back into the clean basin?

Phragmites is spread easily by seed when birds consume the seedheads and by rhizome behavior where runners just below the surface spread the weed.

These invasives are the target of multiple eradication efforts.  Especially in Minnesota, with lakes in jeopardy of being inundated by this plant and water quality and habitat being destroyed, there has been a push for years to remove and chemically treat locations that harbor non-native phragmites.

Nikki Battles, on the commission board for the city of Chisago City, stated it doesn’t seem like a good place to start, doing eradication at the sewer plant.

University of Minnesota Invasives expert Julia Bohnen was online for the meeting and responded that phragmites removal has been on-going in Chisago County for years, adding this  location is not a beginning.

Commission member Jeremy Dresel, the second member for Chisago City, explained why this issue is not popular. “There is heartburn on this commission that the state told us to put them (plants) in (originally). Where is the state help?”

It could run anywhere up to $265,000 to remove one bed of phragmites and clear the sand and other debris in the bottom of the bed— and there are five dewatering beds.       

Lake Improvement District Director Ben Elfelt explained there could be some funds contributed through the LID budget to assist the sewer commission and he’d also be happy to help seek outside eradication grant money.

Commission Chair Lisa Iverson, Wyoming Mayor, remarked that the follow-up application of an herbicide, in the pond, is “scary.”

University of Minnesota researcher Chelsea Blanke assured the commission certain chemicals have been shown to be very effective elsewhere in this struggle with this invasive and the main point is to ensure there is no phragmite growth remaining in the sand layer in the pond.  It was estimated one dewatering bed holds about 900 cubic yards of sand.  Still, Blanke was very optimistic about eradicating phragmites in Chisago County with an aggressive approach.

Chisago County has had an active identification effort in the Chisago Lakes general area and recently has extended the efforts towards locating stands elsewhere in the county with partnering environmental groups.  The county registers the greatest number of stands of phragmites of any county in Minnesota. 

LID Board Manager Gary Schumacher commented remotely on his internet connection, that the commission is at the point where they have to excavate at least one dewatering bed to make some more room for outflow, so now is a good time to start with eradication.

Treatment Plant Operations Supervisor Zach Meyer agreed the facility is “running out of space” and lacking the ability to store effluent in the beds could result in a “shut down.”

There was lengthy discussion about how to get cost estimates for the dewatering weed removal costs alone, and the cleanout including the soils/sand as an alternative,  so the commission could break down what each step might be expected to cost.  The discussion did not result in any motion for action.

The commissioners also reviewed two proposals for legal services and took no action.  There was a concern a conflict could exist  if one of the firms was to be hired and it already does work for Chisago City.  As a commission member city there could be a question later of whose best interests are being represented. City staff were asked to research the dual role matter.

There was no concern, however, about the possible conflict of interest in discussing requests brought forward. Commissioners Dave Waldoch and Dresel said they had personally heard from people interested in cropping the farmland at the plant site. Commissioners Waldoch and Dresel had been asked by friends/family, with one proposal including a verbal offer of $80 per acre.  

(There’s approximately 29 acres that have been tilled in the past, by farmers holding leases with the commission. It’s been several years though, since the commission has put out any public notice soliciting lease offers.)

The consensus, which was not questioned,  (Commissioner Lloyd Vetter was absent) resulted in directing staff to find an old lease from the files to develop a contract.  The commissioners were advised to present the offers from the unnamed interested parties in writing, with the stated goal of contracting with whomever submits the highest payment per acre.

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